380 AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 



the men whom the naturalists had trained as skinners. The 

 porters were men of Uganda; the askaris were from the 

 constabulary, and widely different races were represented 

 among them, but all had been drilled into soldierly uniform- 

 ity. The porters were well-clad, well-behaved, fine-looking 

 men, and did their work better than the "shenzis," the wild 

 Meru of Kikiu tribesmen, whom we had occasionally em- 

 ployed in East Africa; but they were not the equals of 

 the regular East African porters. I think this was largely 

 because of their inferior food, for they ate chiefly yams 

 and plantains; in other words inferior sweet potatoes and 

 bananas. They were quite as fond of singing as the East 

 African porters, and in addition were cheered on the march 

 by drum and fife; several men had fifes, and one carried 

 nothing but one of the big Uganda drums, which he usually 

 bore at the head of the safari, marching in company with 

 the flag-bearer. Every hour or two the men would halt, 

 often beside one of the queer little wicker-work booths in 

 which native hucksters disposed of their wares by the road- 

 side. 



Along the road we often met wayfarers; once or twice 

 bullock carts; more often men carrying rolls of hides or 

 long bales of cotton on their heads; or a set of Bahima 

 herdsmen, with clear-cut features, guarding their herds of 

 huge-horned Angola cattle. 



All greeted us most courteously, frequently crouching 

 or kneeling, as is their custom when they salute a superior; 

 and we were scrupulous to acknowledge their salutes, and 

 to return their greetings in the native fashion, with words 

 of courtesy and long drawn e-h-h-s and a-a-h-s. Along the 

 line of march the chiefs had made preparations to receive 



