330 AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 



bold, fierce temper. One of those which Kermit shot was 

 only crippled by the first bullet, and charged the gun- 

 bearers, squealing savagely, in addition to using its horns; 

 an angry roan, like a sable, is said sometimes to bite with 

 its teeth. Kermit also killed a ratel or honey badger, in a 

 bamboo thicket; an interesting beast; its back snow white 

 and the rest of its body jet black. 



As on the Aberdares and the slopes of Kenia, the nights 

 among these mountains were cold; sometimes so cold that 

 I was glad to wear a mackinaw, a lumberman's jacket, which 

 had been given me by Jack Greenway, and which I cer- 

 tainly never expected to wear in Africa. 



The porters always minded cold, especially if there was 

 rain, and I was glad to get them to the Uasin Gishu, where 

 the nights were merely cool enough to make one appre- 

 ciate blankets, while the days were never oppressively hot. 

 Although the Swahilis have furnished the model for all 

 East African safari work, and supply the lingua franca for 

 the country, they no longer compose the bulk of the por- 

 ters. Of our porters at this time about two-fifths were 

 stalwart M'nuwezi from German East Africa, two-fifths 

 were Wakamba, and the remainder Swahilis with half a 

 dozen Kavirondos and Kikuyus. The M'nuwezi are the 

 strongest of all, and make excellent porters. They will often 

 be as much as two or three years away from their homes; for 

 safari work is very attractive to the best type of natives, as 

 they live much better than if travelling on their own account, 

 and as it offers almost the only way in which they can earn 

 money. The most severe punishment that can be inflicted 

 on a gun-bearer, tent boy, sais, or porter is to dismiss him 

 on such terms as to make it impossible for him again to be 



