12 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



right-hand man, told me that they all said that 

 they were going to run away by twos and threes if 

 the headman Chakulacho remained. I, therefore, 

 sent him back, choosing the risk of having no 

 headman at all. To add to my difficulties I had 

 a Government caravan of about fifty men who 

 were to go up with me, and their Government 

 loads were mixed up with mine, and many wrongly 

 numbered. 



These first days were a terrible trial, as no one 

 knew what he had to do, and in addition to the 

 daily disappearance of my porters, I had myself 

 no experience of camp routine. After a few 

 days, however, when my supposed trustworthy 

 leader had departed, things became more settled ; 

 every man knew exactly what he had to do on 

 arriving in camp and leaving in the morning, and 

 we usually started when there was enough light 

 to see our road. I found it necessary to put about 

 ten porters under an askari or soldier ; these parties 

 took it in turn to fetch wood and water, and the 

 askari themselves had special days to watch and 

 arrange other little matters. Once these details 

 were settled the men quickly got into the way of 

 things, and it was as a rule quite unnecessary to 

 give an order at all. 



I lost three more men and their loads, however, 

 soon after leaving Kibwezi ; one of these had a 

 load of photographic plates and botanical paper to 

 carry, and as I had foolishly told him the load 



