52 FEOM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



and cook and eat their food before sundown, a habit to which 

 they are accustomed. If they went hungry beyond that 

 time, their tempers, if not their digestions, suffered ; and this 

 is not to be wondered at, seeing that it was their only real 

 meal of the day. Their allowance of 2 lb. of " geri " (ground 

 millet) was served out to them at the end of the day's work, 

 and only a few of the more careful men kept a little over for 

 a light mid-day " chop " the next day. So that one may 

 consider that as a general rule the native does his work on 

 one meal a day. In the case of a large number, the carriers 

 split up into groups for their meals, a man in each taking his 

 tuin to prepare the food. They all squat down in a ring and 

 eatout of a common bowl, each in turn dipping his fingers 

 into the food. The native is a sociable being and comrade- 

 ship is almost necessary to his welfare. It is very rare to find 

 one feeding or even sleeping by himself. I remember that 

 on one occasion my headman, in complaining to me about one 

 of the carriers, urged the fact that he fed and slept by himself 

 in proof that the man was no good. 



But to return and pitch camp upon the island before it 

 gets too dark. As I have related, the " boys " were all 

 " dog-tired " and rather cross, and the night was far advanced 

 before they had lit fires and cooked their well-earned supper. 

 So when that had been disposed of, it was not long before the 

 usual chatter and banter round the camp-fire had sunk into 

 the long breathings of deep slumber. The night was cold, 

 so two of the " boys " gave their blankets to the Buduma 

 guides. When day dawned it was discovered that both 

 Budumas and blankets had disappeared. We hunted the 

 island up and down for the young rascals. The " boys '' 



