"'That is a regular band of music,' said the guide, 'such as the coffee-houses keep to attract customers, and the rich people hire to play for them when they give an entertainment. You see there are four pieces, and I'll explain what they are, beginning from the left.
THE NAY (FLUTE) AND CASE.
"'The man on the left is playing on a nay, or flute, which is a reed about eighteen inches long, with a mouthpiece at one end. It has six holes for the fingers, and is blown in a peculiar way, so that a person not accustomed to the nay would be unable to make any sound with it at first.'
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN PLAYING THE NAY.
"Frank asked if there was any other kind of flute. The guide told him there were several, but this was the most common. The Doctor added that this form of instrument was very old, as it could be seen pictured on some of the monuments of ancient Egypt, and appeared to have been used exactly as it is to-day. Some forms of it were blown into sidewise, as with the European flute, while others were blown at the end.
"'The man next to the end is playing on a kemenjah or fiddle,' said the guide. 'The body of it is made of a cocoa-nut-shell, with a piece of fish-skin or some other thin membrane stretched over it, and the "bridge" rests on this thin covering. There are only two strings, and they are vibrated by means of a bow, just like what you see at home, though the shape is a little different. The long top-piece of the fiddle is of wood, while the lower end is of iron, and rests on the floor or ground. The performers are quite skilful, and it would surprise you to know how much music they can get out of a fiddle with only two strings.