Mpika to Kopas 



most expressive. All those connected with the 

 Wawembes speak most highly of them as a very 

 superior though perhaps somewhat undisciplined 

 race of savages; and I take it that this man was a 

 very representative specimen of his tribe, wild as a 

 hawk, but thoroughly amenable to what he knew to 

 be his duty. The team was a strong one, and if 

 disciplined would have been good; but a more 

 irritating set of men to deal with on the line of 

 march it is impossible to imagine. Although willing 

 enough in some respects, they were never ready to 

 start, the reliefs were never at hand when required, 

 the machilla had invariably to be ordered fifteen 

 minutes before it was wanted, and even then there 

 were laggards to be driven in at the last moment. 



The whole way from Kulukenias to Broken Hill 

 there was daily and hourly the same shouting for 

 reliefs, the same lagging behind, and the same 

 wrangling. They appeared to be a crew of born 

 shirkers, and curiously enough they could not see 

 how much they inconvenienced one another. 



Maso was appointed capitao of my team, a small 

 man with a refined, pleasant face, and quiet, nice 



manners; he was a complete antithesis to A 's 



long-legged Mwembe. His good behaviour and 

 diligence as a porter had brought him to my notice 

 in early days in Nyasaland ; the attention he paid 

 to his work as machilla boy, and the manner in 

 which he made himself generally useful on the 

 journey from Fort Jameson to Mpika, increased the 

 good opinion I held of him, so that I had come to 

 look on him as one of the best men we had. His 



169 



