Oya bouwe atye ingane laoto

The canoes of the Wagenya are large dugouts, often 60 feet in length and about 30 to 50 inches in width. They can hold as many as 70 to 100 paddlers on festive occasions and have been made famous of recent years by their appearance in films such as "Sanders of the River" and "Savage Splendour." The large slit drum was made out of a single log of wood measuring 25" across and 5 feet long. The slit was 4" to 4 and a half wide and 4 feet long. It was insulated from the ground by resting it on an old motor truck tyre which nowadays often replaces the less permanent bands of grass or other fibrous matter which are necessary if the wooden gong or slit drum is to be resound to full advantage. The gong should be supported like a xylophone note at the natural nodes, so as to prevent muffling the sound. The larger slit drum is called Mongungu. The smaller slit drum is called Mongungu Ngole. Other Genya drums wih membranes are called Lotongo Ngoma and Uke, but the wooden gongs or slit drums are the more numerous, being used not only for dancing but for sending messages as well. These items were copied from discs in the Reference Library section of the I.L.A.M. as the original tapes were not available. Consequently disc surface noise is apparent in some places. Paddling song with large slit drum, small slit drum, conical laced drum