We Stay at Blantyre 



The men shift two at a time, as a rule every 

 half hour, and those next for duty should always 

 be close in rear of the machilla. Trained teams 

 effect the change without causing any stoppage ; 

 the man whose turn has arrived runs on ahead, 

 places whatever he is carrying on the ground, seizes 

 the pole as the machilla passes him, and puts his 

 shoulder under it ; as soon as he is in position the 

 other man slips to one side, picks up the bundle 

 from the ground, and drops behind. It is seldom 

 that the man relieved forgets to pick up the load, 

 but it did happen once or twice during our journey. 



Travelling in a machilla was very tiring at first 

 on account of the continual swinging and jolting, 

 but when we got accustomed to the movement the 

 sense of fatigue passed off, and we came to look 

 upon it as a convenient if somewhat lazy means of 

 locomotion. Five hours a day, however, a journey 

 of about twenty miles, were quite enough ; on a 

 really good road like that from Blantyre to Zomba 

 our pace was five miles an hour, but as a rule four 

 miles was all we could average. We were usually 

 under way soon after daybreak, stopped for break- 

 fast after three and a half hours' travelling, and 

 continued our journey to the next camp. During 

 this portion of the day's march I generally slept, 

 though I was never able to read, as some people 

 manage to do. 



To be comfortable one must have plenty of 

 cushions and arrange them carefully in the machilla 

 before starting, otherwise one finds oneself jerked 

 down into a most uncomfortable position. Two 



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