32 UNDER THE AFRICAN SUN 



two or three eggs. I fortunately happened to overhear how 

 my message was deHvered : " You are to bring at once three 

 eggs, two chickens, some ripe bananas, and a lot of native 

 beer, or master will have you tied up to a tree, and order you 

 to receive a flogging of twenty-live lashes with the hippo-thong. 

 Now look sharp." I hastened out of the tent, and I called 

 for some one else to assure the village headman that I had 

 only asked to buy a few good eggs, and that the threat of 

 flogging was an utter untruth. Then I had an explanation 

 with my boy ! He seemed surprised that I should find fault 

 with him for the interest he had taken in anticipating my 

 wants by asking for the other items ; as for the twenty-five 

 lashes with the hippo-thong, this, the boy declared, was merely 

 a very necessary figure of speech for impressing the "washenzi" 

 (that is, " savages ") with becoming respect towards a " white 

 man ! " 



In Kavirondo the food for the caravan has to be bought ; 

 but in Usoga and Uganda the chief or village headman nearest 

 to the camp brings in a supply of provisions gratis, owing 

 to some arrangements made by the Government. Usually it 

 consists of bunches of green bananas, or rather plantains. As 

 a rule, the headman also brings a chicken, some ripe bananas, 

 and a gourd of native brew. The illustration represents a 

 typical scene in Uganda. The headman leading his file of 

 men, women, and children, and hugging in his arms the 

 chicken he intends to offer to the caravan leader. Behind 

 him comes a woman with a gourdful of native beer. Some 

 of the bunches of bananas are carefully wrapped up in banana 

 leaves. 



It is only in disturbed districts, either hostile or recently 

 raided by enemies, that the food question may verge on starva- 

 tion-point. I remem.ber once at Kasokwa in Unyoro, the supply 

 ran so short that we had but three green bananas per man 

 for the day's ration. Another day in Unyoro it was still worse, 

 on the short journey between Masindi and Fovira. My com- 

 panion had left the selection of camp to one of his Soudanese 

 sergeants, with the result that we had a very long march, and 

 at the end of it no food whatever for our porters. Next day 

 these unfortunate porters had to do another terribly long 

 march of nearly twelve hours to reach Fovira, where sweet- 

 potatoes were distributed to them. We arrived after sunset, 



