Travel
Events descriptions
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Short Description
During the sailing in open sea, from Lisbon to Brazil, after the Cape Verde sea, and during the daily Mass, they sing the Rosario and later the Litanie.
An another Capuchin who was a Superior Friar, Padre Martino Francese who lived in Salvador de Bahia for 14 years, narrated to Girolamo Merolla that natives sang with the priests "la Messa, e il Vespero", even though they couldn't read.
Sailing near the Cape of Good Hope, Girolamo Merolla writes about the natives: they don't communicate by speaking, but through whistles.
Merolla reports an episode: in the area nearby the Cape of Good Hope, a local tribe welcomes European travelers with dances. They are women, naked, bringing wood. The Captain, in order to approach them, launched some European tools (such as knives, mirrors, corals). While dancing, the women approach the two navigators landed and, quickly, kidnap the Captain: these tribes are cannibals.
Girolamo Merolla and the navigators, once arrived in the Port of Angola (Loanda), are welcomed by politicians and the populations. In the local church, they sing the Te Deum laudamus.
Given that they are only three people, they have a normal ceremony of the Te Deum laudamus. In particular or important moments, they used to combine the sing with musical instruments and then Merolla writes about these important and crowded moments.
The first sunday after the Pentecost, Girolamo Merolla, in his sermon, attacks the murders, too much in this reign (he thinks). So the people in the church, who don't agree, start to make noise: Merolla tries to stop them ringing a bell.
Other capuchin friars (Merolla unspecified the names) tell to the new capuchins arrived about a witch, who exercises with his son. In order to be soon notice, she is annouced by playing a drum.
One of the pretenders to the throne of the Congo (the King recently died), Simantamba tries to convince one of the voters of the new king to give him his sister in wife. To avoid accidents, he meets her in a wood, announced by songs, sounds and dances. Someone tries to warn him of the danger of an ambush, but among the crowd there are armed enemy dancers who kill him.
Simantamba adjusted himself according to the song of his cock and he understood if the luck was good or bad. He believed in it, but, despite the sing, Simantamba died.
Girolamo Merolla recounts the practice to sing Litanie in every church of the Mission. He generally talks about the territory of Sogno/Soyo.
Girolamo Merolla describes important moments of the life of "Gentili", including weddings, pregnancies and babies. Talking about little babies and rituals during their growth, he reports parents put a rattle to their babies, tied at the waist. This is a practice to hear the babies while they are alone scratching on the ground like chickens, to make sure the babies don't live the area.
To prevent thefts in the fields, the friars send youth students to dissuade people with voices and flags. Returning from the fields after performing their task, these devoted and cheerful boys sing the Litanie.
The person judged in favour in a dispute celebrate the victory with a long party with songs and sounds, with his family in his house.
In this part of the diary, P. Girolamo Merolla recounts a ritual for the Emperor Cassangi's Birthday party: Merolla wasn't at the event, but he was told by Padre Gio:Battista Da Salesano. For this event, the Cassangi's subjects caught and fought with a lion. During the fight,they set the lion free and they try to stun it with noises and sounds with instruments. At the end of the "battle", where a lot of men die, they eat the people killed by the lion (or in the crowds) singing.
Merolla describes for pages the clothing of the Count of Sogno, based on religious occurrences: in this long paragraphes, he dwells on the musical instruments that accompany on his routes.
During the most important Christian holidays, at the presence of the Count, at the end of Masses, the Count of Sogno was accompanied by dances, music and blank shots.
Merolla hears from P. Francesco da Pavia the story of great white birds, similar to the geese, doing some particular dances when hearing sounds of instruments: the nature has taught dancing to the blacks, naturally. P. Francesco stops and wacht at the birds.
Merolla reports a bird's verse, mentioning also in the Padre Cavazzi's diary, and he hears the bird saying Jesus Christ. The bird is small and nice, black and blue, it sings early in the morning. Jesus inspire birds, but He can't do the same with the hard hearts of "Gentili".
Merolla describes a particular bird (there is an italian example similar to this) who sings the word "honey" (Vuichi). People who believe on the word can be surprised by a hidden lion.
Merolla says that in Sogno/Soyo there are not any tiger. But in case of it, people try to ward off the tiger making noises with drums, instruments, crying.
During an Easter day, with the excommunicated Count of Sogno and his voters, we can hear sounds of instruments and people screams.
Before a clash between rival bands, they use to play particular and noisy drums played with their hands. Battles are not one to one, but beetween bands.
Moving from Sogno, Merolla starts a new mission in Regno d'Angoij. In his first stop in the port of Caginda (now Cabinda), during a daily Mass, some women clap their hands seing an image of the Virgin Mary.
Some slaves, who have to help Merolla on his journey, want their pay in advance and, angry, they clap their hands and feet as if they were percussion.
During the journey inside the kingdom, once arrived at the Banza of Lemba, Merolla and her companions are welcomed with the sound of trumpets, drums and servants. Once welcomed in the square, people intoned in Congolese the Rosario.
After the Mass, Merolla is invited to the King’s Palace. He reminds to the King of Kongo that he has to officially crown him. Hearing this, the court starts to celebrate with sounds and screams.
During his staying in Lemba, Merolla still celebrate Catholic rituals, as Rosario.
To celebrate a victory of the Marquis of Mattari over other submissive peoples, the people celebrate it despite that it is Holy Week (and no sounds and noises are expected), and during the recitation of the Litanie.
The burial ceremonies have various moments: after some superstitious rites to ward off the spirits of the dead, they cry for a long time, then begin to party. They eat and drink a lot, forgetting the dead e then they start dancing: these particular sounds make them to have orgies.
Merolla reports the episode of a collective sacrifice told by the friar Francesco Romano (in this case with five noblemen), in a tribe called Tambi, which occurred in the Kingdom of Benin (Benino), where the friar protests the King for cruelty and try to stop the ritual.
Simon de La Loubère describes music in Siam and its characteristics.
Cannon shot as a sign of recognition.
Burial ceremony: description of what happens when a leading Marabour dies.
As the vessel enters the Gambia River, it shots three times with a cannon as a form of salute addressed to the Pavillon du Roi of Bar.
The toops arrival at St. James Fort.
François Froger describes the composition of the Balafo Instrument, played by the people that live along the Gambia River while women cultivate their land.
François Froger hears many birds singing in one of Saint Anne Islands, and all these birds are hidden in the wood.
The vessel remains in Galant Port for fifteen days; sometimes François Froger hears the shouts of the savages that live there, but he can't see them.
François Froger writes about the funeral mass made in honour of the Official Salior who died the day before because of his recklessness.
François Froger writes first about the Procession of the holy Sacrament and then about a Jesuit mass done after the procession for the Holy Sacrament. It follows a dinner together.
François Froger writes about the sudden arrival of the Sun of Africa Vessel, who greets Froger's vessel with seven cannon shots.
François Froger writes about a sermon given by a french capuchin, who throughout twenty-five years preached to the Indians.
Zucchelli describes a traditional rite of passage related to the crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar.
Zucchelli talks about prayers sung in Spanish during a religious celebration.
Prayers in Portuguese sung by the crew of the ship so as to reach America without complications.
Zucchelli describes the chants of people as they are being sold as slaves.
Zucchelli describes a musical instrument called marimba, how it is played, its sound and when it is used.
Zucchelli talks about rituals with marimbas and drums.
Description of the instruments accompanying the ambassador of the Kasanze Kingdom in his visit to Luanda.
Descriptions of chants of the people of the desert and their dances.
Description of group of musicians and musketeers sent by the Prince of the County of Songo to welcome the missionaries.
Description of the Prince of the County of Songo and his entourage, made up of musicians and musketeers.
Zucchelli talks about a particular funeral dirge that he witnessed in the County of Songo. He describes how it is sung and for how many days.
Salute cannon shots between vessels
Description of salute between vessels with cannon shot and voice
Cérémonial of the meeting
The Grand leaves the audience with the King
The chevalier des Marchais greets the King of Judah
Announcement to the people of the King's coronation ceremony
Ceremony for the Serpent God for the coronation of the King
Coronation ceremony officiated by the Grand of Ardres
Drawing by the Chevalier des Marchais of the coronation ceremony of the King of Juda
Description of the coronation ceremony of the king of Juda
The king's wives leave the royal palace after a man is sentenced to death for adultery
When Company directors or ship captains meet the King of Juda
Announcement to the people of the new King
Announcement to the people of funeral of the deceased King
Songs and dances for the cultivation of the fields
Opening of the slave trade
Music on the ships that brought slaves to America
Ivory for the construction of musical instruments
Sound of the gongon to decide on the punishment of a crime
Kidnapping of little girls to consecrate them to the Serpent God
Dances and songs taught to girls to honor the Serpent God
Marriage of the Serpent God with the consecrated girls
Procession in honor of the great Serpent
Drawing by the Chevalier des Marchais of the procession honoring the great Serpent at the coronation of the King of Juda
Procession at the Eufrate River regarded as a deity
Drawing by the Chevalier des Marchais of musical instruments
Description of musical instruments
Music during the cultivation of the fields
Description of the birds of the kingdom of Juda
Description of the birds of the kingdom of Juda 2: parrots
European Directors on the road
Black people pray to the Christian God with songs and dances
In 1724, during the travel from James Fort (Ireland) to River Gambia, the Company hired a balafeu, who is a country musician. They engaged him to cheer up the men and recreate them in the evening.
Moore arrived in Nackway and people welcomed him making some music called “Balafeu”. The instrument that they use seems like a small organ composed by twenty pipes of very hard wood, finely rubbed and polished; which Pipes drecreases by little and little both in lenght and breadth and are tied together with thongs.
These Thongs are twisted about small round Wands, which are put between every one of these pipes. On the “organ” they play with two sticks that are covered by thin leather of a ciboa’s tree, to make the sound less harsh. Both men and women dance to this music, they like it a lot. They are also very happy to have a white man (F. Moore) between them. If they drink a liquor offered by a white man that they don’t know, they don’t drink, because they are scared to be poisoned.
In Yamacunda (Senegambia) they have a strange ritual when there is the eclipse of the moon. They think that a cat put his paws between the moon and the earth. The Maomethans in that place sing and dance all the time. In January they observe a very strict ritual. They don’t eat and drink when the sun rises and goes down. They pray in every moment.
The mosques in Fez are very important. The priest of the mosque (Imam) has just to read prayers and collect alms, this is the reason why mosques have big revenues.
The inhabitants of the town are guided by a group of griots (born musicians) who are playing sabar drums, to the rhythm of which the other inhabitants joyfully dance
The senegalese babys, unaccostumed to see a white man, loudly cry
The author sees a bird who is capable of warning his mates by using his loud cry
The death of a woman is announced by a shriek from a close relative
A great dance with drums keeping the time is given for three nights in a row in honor of a deceased young girl
An hippopotamus neighing strongly
The indigenous people are very upset at Adanson for killing a viper and give loud cry
The birds sing and the trees echoes their voice
The workers of the field dance at the sound of drums, flutes and voice of the griots of the village's chief
While crossing a river paddling in a pirogue, two Wolof men entertain themselves by singing
Description of scarecrows in Kionk able to make a lot of sound upon contact
Farmers hollowing and clapping their hands
A great celebration is given by the muslim of the Sonni Ali cult during the Tabaske, the nativity of Mohammed festivity
Every night the Wolof entertain themselves and their guest by dancing joyfully, letting all the harshness of the climate aside
Vitaliano Donati tells of the muezzins of a Mosque.
Vitaliano Donati points out that the governor of each colony is in charge of drumming.
Vitaliano Donati tells of the earthquake felt on February 13, 1756.
Vitaliano Donati recounts the seductive singing of a young woman.
Vitaliano Donati recounts the entry into Cairo of Ahmet Pasha who arrived in Boulaq on November 20, 1748 and the presence of drums in the procession.
Vitaliano Donati describes quail singing in March.
Vitaliano Donati describes a chamber of the Pyramids by pointing out that the wall of it rings like a bell.
Vitaliano Donati describes the verse of a bird revered by the Egyptians.
Vitaliano Donati describes the sounds, songs and dances of a wedding.
Vitaliano Donati lists musical instruments used by the Arabs and in Egypt.
Vitaliano Donati tells of the arrival in Memphis and the dancers who demanded payment with a ‘medino’, local currency.
Vitaliano Donati reflects on the dancing of professional dancers and their payment at weddings.
Vitaliano Donati explores the theme of virtuosity in dance or sing.
Vitaliano Donati offers some reflections on the music and dance of Arabs and Turks by referring to their performance in Ramadan.
Vitaliano Donati reports the presence of musical instruments and dances in marriage processions.
Vitaliano Donati recounts the dances performed during the flooding of the Nile.
Vitaliano Donati recounts a sword dance performed by two men towards Saqqara.
Vitaliano Donati reflects on education towards singing music and dancing
Vitaliano Donati describes the musical instruments he saw in the Ramadan procession.
Vitaliano Donati recounts the procession of the dowry from the house of a bride to that of the groom and mentions the musical accompaniment.
Vitaliano Donati inserts the term "balare" (dance) in a part of the manuscript structured as a dictionary.
James Cook writes about a priest who performs some ceremonies when in front of new things on board
James Cook reports a testimony of Joseph Banks where some of the crew make an expedition through the country, but have some trouble for the extreme cold. After having lost some of the party, they hear a shout
Jmes Cook reports that Joseph Banks and Solander go to visit a town, and two people start to hollow as happened on board
James Cook describes the bark of the dogs here
James Cook writes that by the sea, the crew sees natives on the shore, and they shout each other
James Cook writes that after some incidents with the natives, Mr. Banks strikes the firelock upon the ground
James Cook writes that the chief gives to the English an example of music of the country
James Cook writes that the natives shout, while they conducted the English to the chief
James Cook writes that when starting the matches, the combatants make a noise striking a fore-arm with the other hand, the old men celebrate the victor repeating words in a kind of tune and during the matches some men perform a dance
James Cook reports a description of a public exibition (the "heiva"), with music
James Cook reports Joseph Banks testimony that during a funeral ceremony a native pronounces a prayer
James Cook writes about Joseph Banks who meets some travelling musicians. Description of their music and instruments
James Cook writes that the English take leave of Otaheite and the natives make loud lamentations
James Cook reports Joseph Banks testimony, who sees a girl getting tattoed, who starts loud lamentations
James Cook makes a description of the two kinds of musical instruments seen at Otaheite
James Cook makes a description of the songs of the natives, called "Pehay"
James Cook makes a description of a dancel called "Timorodee", performed by young girls
James Cook makes a description of the funeral ceremonies in Otaheite, that start with lamentations. The day after, during the procession with the body, the preast prays and repeats sentences
James Cook writes that during the ceremony, the priest continues the prayers
James Cook writes that a native of Otaheite make prayer among the natives of Huaheine
James Cook makes a description of the reaction of the natives when a gun is fired
James Cook makes a description of signals made from the ship and the boat
James Cook reports Joseph Banks description of a kind of dance, performed by a native
James Cook reports about a meeting with a company of dancers and description of its members and musical instruments, how they play the drums and dance, and a dramatic interlude performed by men during the dances
James Cook writes that two natives on the shore make a defiance dance directed to the boat
James Cook describessSome natives on the shore making some prayers
James Cook writes that after shooting to the natives, the English hear them on the shore talking
James Cook writes that some natives on board start singing
James Cook reports that during the night the English hear some voices from the shore
James Cook writes that some natives left on board by their companions, start singing and dancing
James Cook reports that some natives on a canoe near the ship perform a sort of ceremony
James Cook reports that some natives near the ship perform a war-song
James Cook writes that the natives at the watering-place, both men and women, perform their war-song
James Cook reports that the natives in canoes sing the song of defiance
James Cook reports that the natives in canoes sing their song of defiance
James Cook reports that natives perform their war-song
James Cook writes that some natives sing the war-song
James Cook reports that the English ask the natives to show their way of fighting, and they perform also their war-song
James Cook reports that natives show hostility and sing their war-song
James Cook writest that natives in canoes sing their song
James Cook writes that the natives prepare to attack the English, and sing and dance as usual
James Cook writes that the crew is awaken by the singing of the birds, and describes of the melody they produce
James Cook writes that after a strong gale, the birds stop singing
James Cook reports a description of the war-dance of the new zealanders
James Cook reports a description of the songs they perform for amusement
James Cook makes a description of the musical instruments
James Cook reports that two natives shout to the English
James Cook reports that during the navigation comes some squalls, with thunder and rain
James Cook writes that they hear the voices of the natives
James Cook reports Joseph Banks testimony where a native shouts in the dark but the English can't see him
James Cook writes about the English and the natives shouting each others
James Cook fires a musket and the natives hear it anf go away. Soon after the English hear their voices in the woods
James Cook writes that during the navigation they hear the roaring of the surf
James Cook reports that some natives rush out of the woods shouting
James Cook writes about natives shouting defiance to the English
James Cook writes about a dreadful storm with thunder and lightning that causes an explosion
James Cook reports a description of rain and thunder
James Cook writes that the frogs croaking in the ditches make a loud noise
James Cook reports that when they weigh, another ship salutes them with cheers and guns
James Cook makes a description of a ceremony that people in Batavia perform in places with crocodiles, with music and singing
James Cook makes a description of dances and songs of the natives of Cape of Good Hope
James Cook makes a description of the noise made by the ice cracking
James Cook reports that penguins are heard from the ship
James Cook writes about ice heard cracking
James Cook writes that a native woman gives the English a dance
James Cook makes some instrument to be played, bagpipes, fife and drum, to attract the natives
James Cook makes a description of the blue peterels and the noise they make
James Cook writes that the natives make a loud noise through the bushes
James Cook makes a description of three kinds of ducks found in Dusky Bay, and the noise made by one of these
James Cook reports Tobias Furneaux description of the noise heard in the night, of dogs and people
James Cook writes that the party on the shore hear the guns fired, because of the arrival of the Resolution
James Cook writes that the natives make a lamentation after being told about the death of Tupia
James Cook writes that the English entertain king Otoo with music and dances
James Cook reports that Otoo orders some of the natives to dance
James Cook makes a description of the "heava", a dramatic play, with music and dancing
James Cook writes about a great noise heard from the shore
After some robberies by the natives, James Cook seizes the chief, and the natives pray and cry to have him back
James Cook reports that the natives perform a "haeva", accompained by the music of three drums
James Cook writes that during the navigation they have thunder, lightning and rain
James Cook reports that the natives welcome the English after landing
James Cook orders to play some music, and after, some women sing
James Cook makes a description of the musical diversions of the natives, and their musical instruments
James Cook writes that four natives in a canoe come near the ship, and one of them plays a drum
James Cook writes that from the ship they hear some penguins
James Cook writes about thunder and lightning
The English see the troops of the natives, and James Cook describes the noise of the crowd
James Cook writes about some women weeping and lamenting
James Cook makes a description of a comic play performed by the natives
James Cook writes about drums heard from the shore
James Cook writes about drums heard and people dancing seen, but all was silent after the noise of the oars of the English
James Cook makes a description of the eruption of the volcano, with a loud noise
James Cook hears the report of the muskets from the wood, after the natives have thrown stones to the English
James Cook makes a description of the eruption of the volcano
James Cook hears a noise from the wood, like singing of psalms. Maybe that part of the island is something sacred to religion
James Cook writes that while navigating around Malakula, they hear the voices of the natives on the beach
James Cook writes that near a village, among the cocoa-nut trees, they hear the crowing of cocks
James Cook and some of the crew shot some birds, and the report of the muskets make the natives discover themseves
James Cook writes that he crew lands with the intention to kill some animals, which they discover to be sea lions. These animals are making some noise
James Cook makes a description of some sea lions growling and a description of the sea bears
James Cook makes a description of some geese and their noise
James Cook reports that the party of English fires and some natives start howling
James Cook writes about voices of the natives heard in the woods
James Cook reports James Burney's testimony about the natives heard talking