Chap. XIV. MODE OF PASSING THE NIGHT. 251 



the station he is to occupy, in reference to the post of honour at 

 the fire in front of the door of the tent. The two Makololo 

 occupy my right and left, both in eating and sleeping, as long 

 as the journey lasts. But Mashauana, my head boatman, 

 makes his bed at the door of the tent as soon as I retire. The 

 rest, divided into small companies according to their tribes, 

 make sheds all round the fire, leaving a horseshoe-shaped space 

 in front sufficient for the cattle to stand in. The fire gives 

 confidence to the oxen, so the men are always careful to keep 

 them in sight of it. The sheds are formed by planting two 

 stout forked poles in an inclined direction, and placing another 

 over these in a horizontal position. A number of branches are 

 then stuck in the ground in the direction to which the poles 

 are inclined, the twigs drawn down to the horizontal pole and 

 tied with strips of bark. Long grass is then laid over the 

 branches in sufficient quantity to draw off the rain, and we have 

 sheds open to the fire in front, but secure from beasts behind. 

 In less than an hour we were usually all under cover. We 

 never lacked abundance of grass during the whole journey. It 

 is a picturesque sight at night, when the clear bright moon of 

 these climates glances on the sleeping forms around, to look 

 out upon the attitudes of profound repose both men and beasts 

 assume. There being no danger from wild animals in such a 

 night, the fires are allowed almost to go out ; and as there is 

 no fear of hungry dogs coming over sleepers and devouring the 

 food, or quietly eating up the poor fellows' blankets, which at 

 best were but greasy skins, which sometimes happened in the 

 villages, the picture was one of perfect peace. 



The cooking is usually done in the natives' own style, and, 

 as they carefully wash the dishes, pots, and the hands before 

 handling food, it is by no means despicable. Sometimes altera- 

 tions are made at my suggestion, and then they believe that 

 they can cook in thorough white man's fashion. The cook always 

 comes in for something left in the pot, so all are eager to obtain 

 the office. 



I taught several of them to wash my shirts, and they did it 

 well, though their teacher had never been taught that work 

 himself. Frequent changes of linen and sunning of my blanket 

 kept me more comfortable than might have been anticipated, 



