HUNTING IN AFRICA 



to prevent the bloody edges soiling the skin. All blood 

 harbours flies, and flies too often blow and ruin a good 



o 



skin or pelt. 



See to it yourself, too, that all the meat is brought to 

 camp. You are not legally obliged to give your porters 

 meat. Potio is supposed to be ample provision for them. 

 But you will find that most of the men require meat more 

 than occasionally. The Wanyamwazi, who are likely 

 to be the mainstay of your sefari, are good marchers, 

 and if they like you, and have arrived at the conclusion 

 that you mean to act fairly by them, will, in their turn, 

 act fairly by you. I have always been open and above 

 board with them. Sometimes for many days together 

 I have had to put them on half rations of potio, sometimes 

 to give them beans, the despised Kikuyu's diet, instead 

 of meal or rice. But when I can get meat they know 

 they will have it, and so they are willing to strain a point 

 to please me. I have told them I badly wanted to take in 

 such and such heavy trophies, for instance, If these were 

 to be carried many of the loads would be nearer eighty 

 than sixty pounds. They have taken them up cheerfully,. 

 and in one instance I well remember made fifteen miles 

 without water, on a very hot day indeed. 



So, as I say, see all your meat is brought in and neither 

 on the veldt, nor yet in camp, wasted. But here you may 

 find an unexpected difficulty. Half or more of your sefari 

 are professed Mohammedans and these do not eat meat 

 that has not been "hallaled." i. e., throat cut before the 

 animal is dead. If the porters who happen to accompany 

 you on a certain day, are Mohammedans, and you want to 

 save a head skin, of course, refuse to have the throat cut, 

 or, if the shot has killed the animal instantly, and so there 

 is no possible excuse for throat cutting, they will need a 

 sharp eye on them, if the unclean meat is to be carried 

 in. It is a good plan judiciously to keep away from any 



