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season, though there seem to be just as many mosquitoes then as 

 at any other time. If you had a breakdown on that road, your 

 chances of surviving a night in the open were remote, but if you 

 did you would certainly emerge with malaria and worse. We had a 

 Government lorry with a native driver, whom I asked if he had 

 all the necessary tools and spares. He said yes. We set off and how 

 that vehicle survived the jumps and bumps is a miracle ; but we 

 got to the Lurio, where there is a small house with netted windows, 

 which the Portuguese always have. Soon after arrival the driver 

 came to report a puncture, and I told him to get it mended. He 

 hesitated, and when I asked sharply what it was, reported that 

 the solution was all dried up in the tube. We tried to dissolve it in 

 petrol, but without avail, it was too hot. Then he tried frying a 

 repair patch on some coals, but that also proved useless. What an 

 idiot I had been to trust a native I had not trained myself. We still 

 had four good tubes, but no spare and no repair outfit, and we 

 had to go back over that awful road. We managed it, but that is 

 why I always carry the rubber solution, and some patching as 

 well. 



Spare pump washers ! We once got to a lonely lighthouse with 

 only natives in charge. I asked for lamps and they brought three 

 mantle lanterns, which I told them to light up. Sorry, Senhor, 

 but the pumps won't work; and they showed me the washers 

 stripped to shreds. No spares in your stores ? No, Senhor, nothing. 

 I told them to go and have another search, and when they had left 

 I had a good look, but the lamps really were useless. I had an idea 

 and took out the plunger of our pressure stove, and behold it 

 fitted perfectly. I soon had a lamp going and put the plunger 

 back into the primus, and when the natives came back to report 

 no luck, as it was still Ught they did not at first notice the lamp. 

 Then one saw it and his eyes bulged; he pointed in amazement 

 and the others stared as well. How had the Senhor done it? *I 

 blew it up,' I said, and bulged out my cheeks, and their eyes 

 bulged still more. What a man this must be ! Would I blow up the 

 others, too ? But I said one was enough at a time as it was hard 

 work. We took that secret away with us, but probably left a 

 legend behind. Nowadays I find it less trouble to carry spare 

 washers. 



Yes, my 'collecting-box'. I was repeatedly called to the tele- 



