262 THE CAMEL 



Somalis would not stand this. At first there were one 

 or two rows, but things soon found their own level 

 without very much interference from or reference to 

 me, and Tommy, when he found that the Somalis were 

 only too ready to return the compliment with a heavy 

 knobkeri, let them alone. This mixture of European 

 subordinates with native drivers is a great evil, and one 

 to which I am very strongly opposed. 



Another Another great objection to employing soldiers with 



hastily improvised transport is, that to enable them to 

 carry out their work of supervision they ought to be 

 mounted. If not mounted you get little or no work 

 out of them, in fact they are more in the way than not. 

 No allowance is made for this, and, whether permitted 

 or not, they mount the laden camels ; but this is not 

 all. The drivers also mount, while those who are 

 placed over them for supervision, especially if no officer 

 is by, take no notice of this infringement ; and so 

 matters go on, drifting into a go easy, take my-chance 

 method. Everyone rides ; in fact, they all do as much 

 as they like, except when the convoy is in charge of an 

 officer, and they happen to be directly under his eye. 

 Do not forget that a convoy unavoidably opens out and 

 straggles to a great extent, so that the officer cannot be 

 everywhere. 



Soldier The conclusion, after varied experience, that one 



Son amis- naturally arrives at is, that for work of supervision over 

 take natives the British soldier is useless (even when com- 

 manded by a zealous, conscientious officer), because he 

 himself, besides ignorance and inexperience of the work, 

 requires constant supervision. One half your time is 

 taken up in superintending his movements and actions, 



