Soldiering and Sport in Uganda 



representative of the " Mzunga Mkuba " (" big 

 white man "). Sharks or no sharks, I stripped on 

 the sand and dived in. It was a most refreshing 

 bath. I kept my helmet on my head whilst swim- 

 ming, although I believe it was an unnecessary 

 precaution. Somehow it is hard to eradicate the 

 abject fear which a tropical sun instils. When I 

 had climbed back into my clothes, we set out on 

 our nautical expedition. I sat on a chair in the 

 canoe which leaked the least (although this was 

 pretty considerable, and necessitated a "toto," or 

 small boy, baling out the whole time), with my 

 orderly and two native rowers. 



Behind me came the rest of my party in more 

 antiquated craft, some of which could only just be 

 kept above water. I saw m.y excellent head -boy, 

 renowned for his almost fascinating- uo^Hness, still 

 reclining under his enormous sunshade, looking 

 very important. The name of this individual was 

 "Babu," implying "grandfather." He had a fund 

 of quiet humour and a vast experience, having done 

 "boy" to a perfect army of Europeans. Once 

 when an acquaintance, of well-known alcoholic 

 tastes, was calling on me, Babu advanced with a 

 bottle of lime-juice and gravely proffered him a 

 drink. I once asked him about his former master, 

 and he told me he was very easy to serve, as it was 

 a case of "Whisky-soda, ishtenna shweer; whisky- 

 soda, ishtenna shweer" ("Whisky-soda, wait a 

 little ; whisky-soda, wait a little "). He used to worry 

 me somewhat for thirty rupees to buy a wife, but I told 



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