I20 SERVICE AND SPORT IN THE SUDAN 



the summons. When we arrived at the rendezvous 

 no one appeared to greet us, though a good many of 

 the inhabitants of the village passed us. At length I 

 had to water our horses, and then, perhaps an hour 

 after our arrival, the headman turned up. Accus- 

 tomed to the almost exaggerated politeness of the 

 Arab, I was indeed surprised. I may add that in 

 no other province in the Sudan in which I have been 

 was such rudeness the rule, or even the exception. 



My opinion, which is that of most men of experi- 

 ence, is that it is folly, and prejudicial to the forwarding 

 of peaceful administration, to parade a savage country 

 in a mean manner. In Town one wears a top-hat in 

 deference to custom. In these countries one should 

 have an imposing escort, i.e. as large as that which 

 will accompany any sheikh who comes to pay his 

 respects. March with it ? No. One would get no 

 shooting, and it would appear to be a bodyguard, 

 which is the last thing to be desired. But in camp 

 and in paying complimentary visits it should always 

 be present. 



En route I noticed that a lot of the long grass 

 was tied in a knot near villages. From the police- 

 sergeant, who had become my very good friend, we 

 heard that this custom and, when the grass was 

 burned, that of putting a stone in the fork of a 

 tree, was to ensure the finding of meat and drink 

 at the end of the journey, which also was to be 

 helped to a speedy end. This superstition is very 

 widespread in Equatorial Africa. 



This chief inspector had also had a very mortifying 



