4i6 ON SOFARI IN SOTIK WILDERNESS AND LAKE NAIVASHA 



umbrella to them is a delight, though they are quite able to walk 

 during the midday hours with bare heads under the tropical sun. Even 

 a folded and faded umbrella serves the purpose, that of winning the 

 admiration or the envy of their fellows. 



The route of the safari, or traveling excursion, is rarely a silent 

 one. The jolly porters are fond of enlivening their way by blowing 

 horns or whistles or beating on little tomtoms. At intervals they chant 

 some savage ditty or repeat in unison some favorite word or phrase, 

 often destitute of sense or meaning. 



At the head of the line, and at intervals along its course, march 

 the askiris, or rifle-bearing soldiers, men mostly unable to hit a barn- 

 door with a bullet, yet good for camp police duty. Next comes the 

 head-man, bearing no burden, and carrying a dirty-white umbrella in 

 his hand as his symbol of authority. After him is the flag-bearer, 

 holding aloft the American flag — a banner which the porters view 

 with respect and pride and not without awe. Next in the line is a man 

 blowing on an antelope horn or beating an empty can as a drum. Then 

 the long line of burden bearers in single file stretch out far over the 

 plains. 



Their loads consist of tents, bedding, provisions, cooking utensils, 

 etc., done up in packages and carried on head, back, or shoulder. 

 Camping ground reached, the tents are quickly set up, water and fire- 

 wood sought, and all made ready for the night's rest. The tents are 

 pitched in two long lines, the front one for sleeping purposes, the rear 

 one containing the cook, provision, store, skinning, and other service 

 tents. The scene at night is a picturesque one. Before each of the 

 porters' tents a little cooking fire may be seen, with pots and pans 

 upon it, and here and there larger fires, surrounded by chatting groups 

 of tired and hungry men. Before the tents of the whites marches an 

 askari, rifle on shoulder, doing sentry duty. In fact, soon after Roose- 

 velt and his comrades reached the camping place the porters might 

 be seen coming, singing or chanting, into camp, the tents being put 

 in place, the fires lit, the supper cooked, and all quickly looking as if 

 the camp were a week old. 



During the period spent by the Roosevelt expedition in the hunt- 

 ing grounds of West Africa various such excursions needed to be 



