28 THE LAND OF THE LION 
things. The Afrikander is but an uncertain bird of passage. 
He does not care for the land or for anything in it. He 
wants money. As soon as he has that, his one idea is 
to go home to the old land that he does love. The Boer 
alone wants to make a home. But his home must be one 
after his own mind and plan. ‘The best land and immense 
tracts of it he wants, and with all his silent, obstinate 
nature, he determines to have it. The native and his 
rights are nothing whatever to him. He will not crush 
him out of existence, for he needs his labour to cultivate 
his farm and tend his cattle. But without one particle 
of scruple he will kick him out of his way. And the Boer 
as England knows by now, can kick very hard indeed. 
So when six weeks from London you may find yourself in 
a country where till two years ago, in some parts of it at 
least, white man’s feet had never come, among people 
strange and new, yet so friendly that you are safe, so far 
as they are concerned from danger, as you would be in 
London, and far less likely to be robbed than you would be 
in New York. ‘Then look kindly on them. Study them, 
as well as Ward’s valuable book on record ‘‘heads,” and 
make up your mind for good or for bad to run your own 
sefari. If this is your decision, then tell your agent at 
Nairobi that above all other things they must give you a 
really honest, reliable ““headman.” They can do this; 
there are several such on their books. They procured 
David Rebman for me, and a better headman —capable, 
experienced, kind, and thoughtful with his porters — there 
is not in the country. Your headman will make you or 
mar you. ‘The problem of potio is quite beyond even the 
most painstaking investigator at first. You will have 
to do as you are told, and get the hang of it as soon as you 
can. At the beginning of sefari life, you will have to be 
guided by your headman. Show him your baggage. 
Tell him roughly what you wish to do and whence you go. 
