The Journal of a Sporting Nomad 
crest of the incoming wave at racing speed, 
surrounded by the flying foam, of which not a 
drop came aboard until the bow of the little 
craft grated on the sand in a smothering sheet 
of sea spume, to be seized by dozens of ready 
native men, who dragged her out of danger. 
These surf boats have been known to turn 
turtle during the performance, and as the seas 
in the neighbourhood are infested with sharks, 
the prospect in case of disaster is not a pleasant 
one. 
In the various ports at which the steamer 
called it was always most interesting to me to 
watch the hordes of natives paddling out in 
their canoes to offer parrots, bananas, and other 
produce. Perhaps one of the men had once been 
in the service of a white man, and desired to 
obtain another such billet, and this sort of thing 
ensued : 
‘* You savvy me, I be Tom. I be Mr. Robin- 
son’s boy. I have um book.” And a certificate 
of character is held up, a chit provided by a 
former master, or carefully manufactured at 
home. 
A boy is prepared to accompany a new boss 
to the latter’s destination at a moment’s notice, 
and every white man has one at least of these 
Krocboys as a body-servant. They are excellent 
workers, faithful, too, in most respects, and many 
of them can speak broken or pidgin-English. 
34 
