AMUSEMENT AND SURPRISE 



able to buy seven more sheep and various objects of 

 ethnological interest with them. 



Before I left I gave the chief men presents, con- 

 sisting of tobacco and "buni," with which they were 

 delighted, and the women perfume, beads and shells. 

 The whole village collected outside my tent in the 

 best of humour, and roars of laughter broke out at the 

 slightest provocation. Great amusement was caused 

 by my camera, and especially by my clothes, which 

 must have seemed to them particularly absurd in com- 

 parison with their loose, flowing garments. They 

 crowded round me when I showed them a book con- 

 taining photographs of elephants, giraffes and other 

 game with which they were familiar, and as they 

 recognised each animal as I turned the pages, they 

 pointed excitedly at it with their fingers, and broke 

 out into cries of astonishment and surprise. It was 

 an animated and entertaining scene, but there was 

 nothing vulgar in their curiosity, only a naive interest 

 and a childlike simplicity which completely disarms 

 criticism. There is always much that is sym- 

 pathetic, much that is attractive in the primitive 

 savages who people the remote corners of the earth. 

 But how quickly these qualities disappear on the 

 advent of the missionary and the civilisation he brings 

 with him ! 



I dismissed them at last, having made arrange- 

 ments with the headman of the village to provide a 

 guide who was to lead me as far as Marti Plateau ; 

 and I went to bed that night relieved of a great 

 anxiety with regard to the food supply for my men. 

 For now, even if I did not meet any other natives, 

 I should have sufficient for myself and my followers 

 until I reached the outskirts of civilisation. 



235 



