Lake Victoria to Khartoum 



more than the former ; Musa would hit Hamis 

 over the head as the latter had been given all 

 bananas, whilst the former had only potatoes ; 

 the quarrel would possibly terminate in Juma 

 swooping down and bagging the lot ! The first 

 day or two's trekking usually results in a scrim- 

 mage or two, as these men have been drawn from 

 the whole district, and very likely have never 

 seen one another before, much less become 

 acquainted ; but as soon as they get shaken 

 down and make friends with one another, and, 

 above all, find that the white man isn't trying to 

 steal or make his bit out of their food, they carry 

 their heavy loads along, day in day out, quite 

 cheerfully, having their labours rewarded with 

 meat when master has been lucky enough to 

 shoot an antelope or whatever it may be. 



At five o'clock I usually see all the men who 

 report themselves sick. These men are paraded 

 and come up in charge of their different head 

 men ; and whilst the cases of fever are few, a 

 goodly number will be found to be suffering from 

 coughs, and more still from pains in the " little 

 Mary " from over-eating. To be a successful 

 doctor amongst these people it is necessary to 

 give them medicine that either tastes very nasty 

 or has a severe effect. It's not a bit of good 

 serving out to them tabloids, which do neither. 

 To do this is to make them lose all faith at once, 

 and those who are really ill will very likely stay 



70 



