The Luambwa to the Difuna River 



recalled and told that the " Donna " would give him 

 2s. to carry Maso into Mkushi, and that this sum 

 would be deducted from the wage of the insubor- 

 dinate native. This settled it. The Mwembe 

 had no wish to part with 2s. out of the 75. which 

 would be due to him on arrival at Broken Hill, and 

 consented to return to his duty. The other shirker, 

 who had heard all the argument and was actually 

 shouldering my machilla, was relieved and told to 

 assist his fellow. The trouble was not the weight, 

 the machilla being only of grass, and hanging on a 

 single pole. Maso was also so small that he could 

 not have weighed seven stone, but they considered 

 it was beneath their dignity to carry a black man. 



Natives will take orders from the headman, but 

 from no other black. On one occasion the cook 

 was grumbling that he had no water and was short 

 of fuel. In John's absence I told Franco to order 

 some of the men to fetch both. He did so, but 

 no notice was taken. Franco said, "They pay no 

 attention because I am a black man like them- 

 selves." I said, "Very well; tell them if they pay 

 no attention to a black man, they will have a white 

 woman after them." This was repeated, and had 

 the desired effect. 



225 



