156 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



provisions, while the men would idle and loll about. 

 These latter are an extraordinary race. They seem to 

 obey nothing but " stick." Their own headmen use it 

 freely ; and it was absolutely necessary to use it sometimes, 

 or they had no respect for you at all. I had charge at 

 one time of about 3000 carriers, and the same scene used 

 to be repeated every morning. They would be squatting 

 in long rows, each with his load before him, and intently 

 watching the regiment moving ofiP. They were perfectly 

 well aware that when the last company started on its 

 march they had to follow, but they never made the 

 slightest effort to do so, looking first at one another, and 

 then at me. In vain did I point towards the vanishing 

 battalion with my stick, and give them the order to move ; 

 they only looked at me and at each other. Then I 

 used to run down a few paces, hitting right and left 

 indiscriminately, when all would jump up, seize their loads 

 and march off, as if that had been the signal that they 

 were waiting for. 



When some had to be flogged their behaviour was 

 very curious. The batch of prisoners would walk gaily 

 up to the triangles, as if nothing was the matter, laughing 

 and joking together. While one was being operated upon 

 the others would scream with laughter, the tears rolling 

 down their cheeks at the cries and contortions of the 

 victim, although their own turn was to come immediately 

 after. Then when the next was tied up, the one who had 

 just been flogged quite forgot his own sufferings in the 

 intense amusement that the new-comer afforded him. 

 Verily, they are not to be judged by the standard of 

 Europeans. 



That perfection had not been arrived at in the 



