174 UNDER THE AFRICAN SUN 



During my stay in Unyoro we had armed friendly Waganda ; 

 one of them was always on duty at the hospital entrance. The 

 hospital orderly was a Soudanese sergeant of the name of Fari- 

 jalla Memvu ; he had already served in this capacity under Emin 

 Pacha. The name " Memvu " means " Ripe Banana." Other 

 curious names are found amongst the Soudanese soldiers. One 

 of my patients at Fajao was named " Timsah Omar," that is, 

 " Crocodile Donkey." 



Speaking of names, there are peculiar ones met with amongst 

 the Wanyamwezi porters. In one of my caravans I had men 

 whose names, translated into English, were : Half-Rupee, One- 

 Rupee, Never-Mind, Hard-Work, Bad-Work, W^ar, Cannon, 

 Hippopotamus. 



With Swahilies the two favourite names are "Juma," which 

 means "Friday," and " Hamis," "Thursday," and combinations 

 of these two names, such as " Friday the Son of Thursday," 

 "Thursday the Son of Friday." Very often there are so 

 many who have the same name, that the men themselves 

 take or are given some sobriquet, such as " Tumbusi " 

 (vulture), if he had a bald spot on the top of his head, or 

 "Fundi" (artisan), if he showed aptitude for carpentering or 

 other work. 



The seven hospital huts at Masindi have been gradually 

 increased in number. They are grass-huts, and are constructed 

 on the Soudanese pattern. Each has a fireplace in the centre 

 and holds three native bedsteads. 



Last September some very heavy thunder-storms burst over 

 Masindi. The ammunition store was above-ground and about 

 fifteen yards from my hut. The knowledge of this fact did not 

 add to one's equanimity, when blinding flash and crashing 

 thunderclap, apparently synchronous in time, occurred every 

 minute. One night I was hurriedly sent for, as the lightning 

 had struck two huts. One grass-hut it pierced sideways with- 

 out setting fire to it, and a Soudanese woman who was inside 

 the hut at the time escaped unhurt. Another grass-hut the light- 

 ning struck vertically through the top and down the middle, and 

 neither was this one set on fire. But of the five men who were in 

 the hut, two were killed on the spot and the three others were 

 brought to me for treatment. The two dead men showed not 

 the slightest sign of external injury, but their bodies were icy- 

 cold, as if just taken out of ice, though the limbs were perfectly 



