Porters' Attempt to Strike 



of laziness and cursedness combined. He sent for 

 his pipe and chair (the latter I deprived him of, for 

 my own needs were greater than his), and he sat 

 down and stared at me, saying intermittently there 

 was nothing. I knew so few words of his dialect 

 that I was just beginning to wish I had not sent for 

 him when my bicycle turned up. A native had 

 found it on the road and brought it along. 



It was now about 2 p.m., and after spending some 

 time in cleaning my debauched cycle with handfuls of 

 elephant grass I began to feel ravenous. My two '^ j> 

 orderlies at last arrived with my dog. Acting on 

 my instructions, one of them told the chief to bring ^* f 

 food quick. The chief tried on the same old game. 

 Then my orderly talked to him in such strenuous 

 terms that it ended in the chiefs precipitant flight, 

 even to leaving his chair behind. More waiting, 

 and then in came the "safari" in driblets nearly 

 exhausted. My head boy approached and asked me 

 in a solemn manner if I wanted breakfast, luncheon, o'^ 

 or tea, as it was then the hour for the latter of the 

 three meals. After I had satisfied my hunger, I 

 unfolded the fact to my "safari" that they had to 

 go on another two hours. Ugh ! What a clamour ! 

 They distinctly and firmly refused; and when the 

 headman tried to stir them on, they handed him 

 back their potia money. Potia money is the pre- 

 liminary payment made to each porter before 

 undertaking a journey, to enable them to purchase 

 their food on the way. It was in vain he told them 

 there was nothing to eat in that camp. I instructed ■** 



231 



