THE DAILY ROUND 265 



a hist resort, a woman, who was leading men into rows, 

 would have her head shaved. As the black woman's 

 hair is very short and used to thread beads on, this 

 was drastic punishment. I can remember inflicting it 

 once only. 



I could multiply these examples indefinitely. They, 

 no doubt, border on the grotesque. Such is adminis- 

 tration on the outskirts of Empire. 



An ordinary day would be divided as follows. 



At 5.30 A.M. one would get up by candle light, have 

 one's bath, &c., and " chota hazri." At 6 (dawn) pro- 

 ceed to the parade ground, where one would find the 

 various workmen paraded under the native officer of 

 Jehadia or the Mamur. They would there be told off 

 to the various jobs about the place. Some w'ere in 

 regular employment. The smith would go to his 

 forge to make nails, as a rule, from iron sent in in 

 porous balls about three inches in diameter, by the 

 Jurs. The carpenter would repair to his workshop, 

 and there make cart bodies (we got the wheels sent 

 from Khartum), doors, and so on. The wood cutters 

 would repair to the forest, and generally sit and smoke 

 till they heard some one coming. The sawders would 

 repair to their stands and make boards out of blocks 

 of native mahogany. The boatbuilders, with their 

 adzes, would build feluccas at the " meshra " (landing 

 place). The gardeners go off to the experimental 

 farm, and there work the sakias or weed the crops. 

 Then we would have the waiting carriers, for, of 

 course, it was useless to have them in the village 

 earning nothing wherewith to pay for their board. 



