CH. IV] BREAKING CAMP 81 



lack of which they despise as weakness. Any little 

 change or excitement is a source of pleasure to them. 

 When the march is over they sing ; and after two or 

 three days in camp they will not only sing, but dance 

 when another march is to begin. Of course at times 

 they suffer greatly from thirst and hunger and fatigue, 

 and at times they will suddenly grow sullen or rebel 

 without what seems to us any adequate cause ; and 

 they have an inconsequent type of mind which now and 

 then leads them to commit follies all the more exaspera- 

 ting because they are against their own interest no less 

 than against the interest of their employer. But they 

 do well on the whole, and safari life is attractive to 

 them. They are fed well ; the government requires 

 that they be fitted with suitable clothes and given small 

 tents, so that they are better clad and sheltered than 

 they would be otherwise ; and their wages represent 

 money which they could get in no other way. The 

 safari represents a great advantage to the porter, who in 

 his turn alone makes the safari possible. 



When we were to march, camp was broken as early 



in the day as possible. Each man had his allotted task, 



' and the tents, bedding, provisions, and all else were ex- 



j peditiously made into suitable packages. Each porter 



is supposed to carry from fifty-five to sixty pounds, 



I which may all be in one bundle or in two or three. 



; The American flag, which flew over my tent, was a 



I matter of much pride to the porters, and was always 



carried at the head or near the head of the line of 



march ; and after it in single file came the long line of 



i burden-bearers. As they started, some of them would 



I blow on horns or whistles, and others beat little tom 



' toms ; and at intervals this would be renewed again and 



I again throughout the march ; or tlie men might sud- 



6 



