6o SERVICE AND SPORT IN THE SUDAN 



like work (?). Let that be as it may, they will, even 

 when left to themselves, do twice the work and more 

 of an equal number of blacks under an overseer, and 

 do it cheerfully. 



It has been the fashion to abuse the poor Gyppie. 

 Taken direct from his village, from tilling the fields 

 from early morning till late evening and driving a 

 sakia at night, he is considered a fool because he cannot 

 hang a picture straight. 



It has been said that they could not be taught to 

 shoot. By the time those I have known were taught 

 that this exercise does not consist in loud words of 

 command and automatic movements they did right 

 well. I may say here that, in all my experience in the 

 Sudan, which was varied, I never met a man who failed 

 wholly to master the elements of hitting a target. 

 This was not the case at home before 1900. 



To those who are convinced that the light shines out 

 of the back of the head of all black troops, my state- 

 ment that the regular Sudanese of to-day is an unre- 

 liable, because spoiled, article will give dire offence. I 

 yield to none in my love for the dear old black, but — 

 well, there is no point in washing dirty linen in public. 

 The Sudanese soldier, if made to work, will do as little 

 as he possibly can, grumbling the whole time. If he 

 thinks it will pass unnoticed, he will be impertinent. 

 Never having served in a Sudanese regiment, I have 

 had plenty of opportunity of noticing things as an 

 onlooker. 



I have said that the Sudanese are grumblers. Have 

 they no cause to be so occasionally? Officers who 



