CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS AND OTHERS 



to Baruku, who then put it into English for me. 

 Finally I saw that coolie disappearing in the dis- 

 tance with his cloth flapping from his shoulder in 

 the breeze. 



When Christmas Day arrived we had a lot of 

 presents from the shop-keepers and canteen men of 

 each battalion ; cakes very much iced and spiced 

 are always sent at Christmas time, touchingly 

 worded Christmas cards, and fruit as well. Our 

 canteen man, an Indian, came again with a present. 

 He was very nervous, but my husband said all that 

 was required and I chimed in at intervals with 

 " Salaam ". I wished to improve the situation by 

 saying in Swahili that the master was very fond of 

 mangoes, but the effect was spoilt by my using the 

 word " sasa " (now) instead of " sana " (very). The 

 canteen man was much too nervous to notice my 

 mistake, but All's head disappeared into his elbow, 

 in a way he has when he wants to laugh but is too 

 polite to show it. I knew by his shaking shoulders 

 and gleaming teeth what he was doing, and I longed 

 to join in too, but controlled myself. I gave the 

 boys grand belts with pockets, so Ali ran about 

 during the afternoon with only a clean loin cloth 

 held in place by his new belt and his clean kanzu 

 over his arm, to show off" the belt. The days when 

 Ali washes his kanzus at the tap he looks very 

 quaint, with his shaven head, never otherwise un- 

 covered, and a brown-black blanket around him. 



69 



