THE CARAVAN, HEADMAN, ETC. 183 



can be issued to them before leaving the coast. A small fine, 

 say half a rupee, should be levied for every cartridge lost, or 

 supposed to be lost, as the men are much given to selling their 

 cartridges to the natives for food and ' pombe ' (native beer), 

 the natives buying them for the sake of the powder and lead. 



Gun-bearers are rather difficult to find ; that is to say, good 

 ones. Any number of men will come forward and offer their 

 services, although they have never acted as gun-bearers before, 

 and know absolutely nothing about their duties. They do this 

 because they prefer to carry a rifle, waterbottle, and cartridge- 

 bag (in all some 2 5 Ibs. ), rather than a full load of 65 Ibs. to 

 75lbs., and because they know that they will have altogether 

 an easier time of it than a porter or askari. On the other 

 hand, men who have been gun- bearers to Europeans whom 

 they either know personally or by reputation, and whom they 

 would follow into any kind of danger, will not volunteer their 

 services as gun-bearers to men they do not know, and in whom 

 they have no confidence. 



Most Africans are gifted with not only long but very 

 quick sight, are capital walkers at their own pace, are 

 often extraordinarily keen about sport, and will wish to go 

 on after game when their master is dead beat and wants to 

 return to camp. They are wonderfully patient followers on 

 a blood spoor, and if they have confidence in their master 

 will follow him anywhere after wounded game, and can be 

 relied upon not to run away at a critical moment. Europeans, 

 however, often complain that their gun-bearers do not keep up 

 with them when out shooting ; but this is very often their own 

 fault. East Africa is a land of thorns and prickly spikes of 

 every description. Europeans who are booted and clothed 

 cannot well expect an almost bare-footed and bare-legged man, 

 with only a thin cotton shirt on and a pair of sandals, to follow 

 close at their heels (the proper place for a good gun-bearer) 

 through clumps of thorns and sharp spiky aloes. To enable 

 the two principal gun-bearers to keep in their proper positions 

 they should each be provided with a suit of clothes, of the same 

 material and make as their master's, with leather knee-caps, &c., 



