SNEEES PEEVAIL. 533 



employers, adds life to the scene ; they are in three bodies, and 

 number four hundred and fifty in all. Each party has a guide 

 with a flag, and when that is planted, all that company stops till 

 it is lifted, and a drum is beaten, and a kudu's horn sounded. 

 One party is headed by about a dozen leaders, dressed with fan- 

 tastic head-gear of feathers and beads, red cloth on the bodies, 

 and skins cut into strips and twisted : they take their places in 

 line, the drum beats, the horn sounds harshly, and all fall in. 

 These sounds seem to awaken a sort of esprit de corps in those 

 who have once been slaves. My attendants now jumped up, 

 and would scarcely allow me time to dress when they heard the 

 sounds of their childhood, and all day they were among the fore- 

 most. One said to me ' that his feet were rotten with marching,' 

 and this though told that they were not called on to race along 

 like slaves. 



" The Africans cannot stand sneers. When any mishap 

 occurs in the march (as when a branch tilts a load off a man's 

 shoulder) all who see it set up a yell of derision ; if anything is 

 accidentally spilled, or if one is tired and sits down, the same 

 yell greets him, and all are excited thereby to exert themselves. 

 They hasten on with their loads, and hurry with the sheds they 

 build ; the masters only bring up the rear, helping any one who 

 may be sick. The distances travelled were quite as much as the 

 masters or we could bear. Had frequent halts been made — as, 

 for instance, a half or a quarter of an hour at the end of every 

 hour or two — but little distress would have been felt; but five 

 hours at a stretch is more than man can bear in a hot climate. 

 The female slaves held on bravely ; nearly all carried loads on 

 their heads : the head, or lady of the party, who is also the wife 

 of the Arab, was the only exception. She had a fine white 

 shawl, with ornaments of gold and silver on her head. These 

 ladies had a jaunty walk, and never gave in on the longest 

 march ; many pounds' weight of fine copper leglets above the 

 ankles seemed only to help the sway of their walk ; as soon as 

 they arrive at the sleeping-place they begin to cook, and in this 

 art they show a good deal of expertness, making savory dishes 

 for their masters out of wild fruits and other not very likely 

 materials. 



"The splendid ranges of hills retire as we advance; the 



