Soldiering and Sport in Uganda 



I feasted my eyes on these scenes from a 

 commanding position on my back verandah, giving 

 a supplementary order here and there, although by 

 now my household had been so well drilled that few 

 directions sufficed. Eventually the loads were all 

 lined up and parcelled out by the headman, who told 

 off an additional porter where the heavier packages 

 rendered it necessary. 



The porters were then given a few minutes to 

 make circular pads out of banana leaves to place 

 upon their heads to prevent them from getting sore 

 with the friction of the loads. 



Then I gave the signal for departure. There- 

 upon the calm and placid demeanour of my headman 

 gave place to one of furious boiling rage. Uttering 

 raucous shouts he threatened the hesitating porters 

 with a thick stick, rushing first at one and then at 

 another. The latter, hastily snatching up their loads, 

 got under way as speedily as possible, following a 

 leader, elected by common consent, who spun out 

 long yarns of ejaculations and queries in sing-song 

 fashion, to all of which the remainder, at stated 

 intervals, replied in unison in short terms of 

 approval. 



I instructed my head-boy not to go further than 

 the first camp out on the Entebbe road, where I 

 would catch them up by the morrow. 



That evening I had a very pleasant dinner with ^^ 

 the Commissioner, and the next morning overtook 

 my "safari" at the first camp, where we left the 

 main road for the "gubba" and headed in a north- 



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