THE SEFARI 51 



great pile of baggage in front of the bwana's tent has its 

 green ground sheet covering removed, and the men's loads 

 are placed in a long line. The men like starting early, 

 and camp should, if possible, be reached by midday. You 

 hurry through your breakfast. But even if you are up 

 as soon as your men, and you should be, for you take a 

 much longer time to get ready than they do, you are aware 

 of watchful eyes and waiting figures, ready to pounce on 

 and carry away any and everything you are using. The 

 table goes to one porter's load, your chair to another, your 

 second cup of coffee makes the man who carries the canteen 

 shift uneasily from leg to leg. He is mentally calculating 

 how long behind the others he will be, before that closed 

 and locked canteen is handed over to his tender mercies 

 for the day. 



Lay away in its chosen place the night before, every thing 

 you want in the morning. If you do not, you will find the 

 world locked up against you, and it is a hard-hearted 

 bwana indeed who will make an anxious porter take off 

 the many windings of his porter's kamba (tying string), 

 and stand over him while most unwillingly he pulls the 

 whole wonderful conglomeration to pieces. To rearrange 

 a load once it has been fastened up, is something the best 

 porters thoroughly dislike to do; and now, each man 

 taking up the box or bag assigned him, goes back to his 

 own camp fire and fastens his day's burden together with 

 much coiling and twisting and tying of "granny knots." 

 Next, he deftly twists his scarlet cotton blanket round his 

 head, in a compact turban, so that on it rests the weight 

 of his load, and stands waiting the order bendika (load up). 

 When this is shouted, up go a hundred bundles, and the 

 porter, balancing the weight carefully, stretches out his 

 foot for his porter's stick (something none of them will 

 travel without) which he grasps, yes, grasps, between his 

 big toe and the next, and bending his knee, while he holds 



