68 A COLONY IN THE MAKING chap. 



naturally those of others and especially of his master 

 appear to him more truly humorous. He is sublimely 

 happy with a little music and dancing, but failing this 

 is content to sit and gossip for hours, as will invariably 

 be observed round a camp fire. Newcomers often 

 wonder what all the talk is about. The answer is 

 that, as in our Clubs, the bulk of conversation consists 

 of indecent stories and experiences, the second 

 favourite topic being the iniquities of his masters and 

 superiors, which topic takes the place with us of the 

 defects of the Government of the day. 



As to his faults — laziness is one ; though when 

 there is any special occasion or any unwonted call on 

 his energies, he may be relied on. Thus your Swahili 

 butler will be at his best when a large and unexpected 

 party is suddenly thrust on him ; or on Safari your 

 Swahili headman or gunbearer shines when there is an 

 unusually long march under depressing circumstances, 

 or the caravan has to be transported across a rain- 

 swollen torrent. It is in the ordinary wear and tear 

 of everyday life that his laziness shows itself, or 

 perhaps rather that he becomes bored. Dusting, 

 sweeping, gun-cleaning, etc., require constant super- 

 vision, and in fact he will fail in any daily task after 

 about a week, unless an eye is on him. Drunkenness 

 is, and always has been, another failing in the equip- 

 ment of the Swahili. In his own country he makes a 

 villainous concoction, "tembo," from tapping cocoanut 

 trees, but in the Highlands he is not averse to any 

 reasonable substitute, such as can always be provided 

 by the nearest Indian. Usually speaking, he does 

 not let his love of spirits interfere to any great extent 

 with his work. There are, however, exceptions. I 

 recollect one dinner party at the inception of which 



