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 

 then* 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 

 Krooboys as a body-servant. They are excellent 

 workers, faithful, too, in most respects, and many 

 of them can speak broken or pidgin-English, 



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