APPENDIX 323 



while the gun-bearer and " boy " get a pair of boots in 

 addition. A cotton shelter-tent and a cooking pot must 

 also be furnished for every five men. 



The food for the caravan is mostly rice, of which the 

 Headman gets two kibabas (a kibaba is about \\ Ib.) per 

 day ; the cook, gun-bearer, " boy " and askaris one and a 

 half kibabas, and the ordinary porters, one kibaba, each 

 per day. 



It is the duty of the Headman to keep discipline on the 

 safari (caravan journey), both in camp and on the march, 

 and to see to the distribution and safety of the loads, the 

 pitching and striking of camp, the issue of posho (food) to 

 the porters, etc. He always brings up the rear of the 

 caravan, and on him depends greatly the general comfort 

 of the sportsman. For our trip at the beginning of 1906, 

 we managed to secure a splendid neopara, and never had 

 the least trouble with the porters all the time. His only 

 drawback was that he could not speak English, but he told 

 me when he left us that he was going to learn. Anybody 

 securing him as Headman will be lucky ; I cannot 

 remember his real name, but he was always known as 

 M'zay, and could easily be found by this name at 

 Mombasa. 



The cook is also an important member of the caravan, 

 and a good one should be procured if possible. It is 

 wonderful what an experienced native uipeshi (cook) can 

 turn out in the way of a meal in a few minutes after camp 

 is pitched. 



As gun-bearer, most hunters prefer a Somali. I have 

 never tried one, but am told that they are inclined to be 

 troublesome ; they certainly rate themselves very highly, 

 and demand about four times as much wages as an equally 

 good Swahili. 



In camp, the duties of the askaris are to keep up the fire 

 and watch at night, and to pitch and strike the Bwanas 



Y 2 



