-^ Camping out on the Velt 



skilfully constructed shelters under the bushes and trees. 

 Thus a miniature village grew up, of which I was the 

 despotic ruler. The native hunters who visited us would 

 sometimes accompany me on long expeditions. 



For me there are no " savages." When an Intelligent 

 man comes across a tribe hitherto unknown to him he will 

 carefully study their seemingly strange habits, and thus 

 will soon recognise that they have their own customs and 

 laws which they regard as sacred and immutable, and which 

 order their whole existence. He will no longer desire the 

 natives to adopt the manners and customs of the white man, 

 for which they are absolutely unsuited. 



But by the time I got friendly with these nomads they 

 were off again. It is against their habits to stay long in 

 one place, and they do not willingly enter into close relations 

 with a European — or indeed with any one. Suddenly one 

 fine morning we find their sleeping quarters empty ; they 

 have disappeared, never to return. No obligation, no 

 command, would ever bind these wanderers to one place. 

 Children of the moment, children of the wilderness, their 

 lives are spent in constant roaming. 



I hardly ever had a leisure hour, for there 

 was much to arrange and see to in my camp. I 

 had many functions to perform. I was my own 

 commissioner of public safety ; I looked after the com- 

 missariat ; I was doctor and judge. I supervised all the 

 other offices and pursued a number of handicrafts. Like 

 Hans Sach I followed with pride the avocations of 

 shoemaker, tailor, joiner, and smith, my very scanty 

 acquaintance with all these various trades being put to 



585 



