80 THE RIVER ZAMBEZI AND ITS SCENERY 

 I have not seen put into the cooking-pot. It is 

 usually about three parts full, and its contents 

 always appear to possess the inestimable quality 

 of giving general satisfaction. Soon after the deck- 

 vsrashing and clearance that take place every morn- 

 ing, the native personnel assembles on the clean 

 washed hatches of the lighters, and its component 

 members at once commence to settle down to the 

 tranquil enjoyment of a leisurely day. The matted 

 sleeping bag, or "Mfumba," is placed in as ad- 

 vantageous a position as can be selected, and this 

 determined upon, and an absent-minded application 

 having been made to the cooking-pot, the African 

 settles down to the day's repose. Of course, as he 

 fully realises, leisure has its duties as well as its 

 sweets, so you may see him from time to time 

 doing a service to an overburdened comrade by 

 cutting his coarse wool or performing some other 

 little friendly act of a similar appreciable character. 

 The operation of wool- cropping is one which a 

 native never refuses to practise. It has a fascina- 

 tion for him which seems to communicate itself 

 to all the idle surrounding bystanders, who at once 

 become entranced spectators of the delicate deed. 

 More often than not you may see the artist, with 

 a responsible air of the grimmest determination, 

 making desperate efforts to attain his ends by 

 means of a pair of small folding nail-scissors, with 

 an astonishing result on the scalp of the resigned- 

 looking subject, who, distrustful perhaps of the 

 operator's skill, examines from time to time the 

 general effect of his ministrations in a tiny circular 

 tin box with a cracked mirror let into the lid, each 



