Soldiering and Sport in Uganda 



enormous one, stretching sometimes for five miles, 

 and the porters were a sorry looking crowd. Some 

 of them had sores on their heads from constantly 

 carrying weights on them, others had swollen feet, 

 and they all were very emaciated, having been on 

 very slender rations. They were now given double 

 supplies, and there were plenty of green peas. 

 They would fill themselves up with the latter before 

 starting on the day's "safari." When about two 

 hours had elapsed, and they had probably drunk 

 some water, their bellies expanded to an enormous 

 extent. Then the fun would commence. The 

 headman would place the sufferer on the ground 

 and give him some bark to eat, after which he 

 would hit him in the stomach very violently several 

 times amidst the jeers of an admiring circle of the 

 patient's acquaintances, until the drastic emetic took 

 effect. 



It seemed so curious that the ordinary English 

 sweet pea, with its pretty, variegated flower, 

 should grow in such abundance in this wild and 

 unknown region. I noticed another plant which 

 attracted my attention by its extensive growth, and 

 that was the Acanthus plant, the leaf of which was 

 used of old by the Greeks aixi Romans in a con- 

 ventional form for their decorative designs round 

 the tops of those magnificent pillars, which were the 

 main characteristics of their buildings — a leaf we all 

 of us remember who at school were made to practise 

 freehand drawing. 



Whilst we were trying one morning to find our 

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