Chap. XIII. Africans the better men. 307 



experience with a dozen Mohammedans in our employ at 

 high wages for sixteen months, the Africans would be the 

 better men in proportion as they retained their native 

 faith. This may appear only a harsh judgment from a 

 mind imbued with Christian prejudices ; but without any 

 pretention to that impartiality, which leaves it doubtful 

 to which side the affections lean, the truth may be fairly 

 stated by one who viewed all Mohammedans and Africans 

 with the sincerest good will. 



Our twelve Mohammedans from Johanna were the least 

 open of any of our party to impression from kindness. 

 A marked difference in general conduct was apparent. 

 The Makololo, and other natives of the country, whom 

 we had with us, invariably shared with each other the 

 food they had cooked, but the Johanna men partook of 

 their meals at a distance. This, at first, we attributed 

 to their Moslem prejudices ; but when they saw the cook- 

 ing process of the others nearly complete, they came, sat 

 beside them, and ate the portion offered without ever 

 remembering to return the compliment when their own 

 turn came to be generous. The Makololo and the others 

 grumbled at their greediness, yet always followed the 

 common custom of Africans of sharing their food with 

 all who sit around them. What vexed us most in the 

 Johanna men was their indifference to the welfare of each 

 other. Once, when they were all coming to the ship after 

 sleeping ashore, one of them walked into the water with 

 the intention of swimming off to the boat, and while yet 

 hardly up to his knees was seized by a horrid crocodile 

 and dragged under ; the poor fellow gave a shriek, and 

 held up his hand for aid, but none of his countrymen 

 stirred to his assistance, and he was never seen again. 

 On asking his brother-in-law why he did not help him, 

 he replied, " Well, no one told him to go into the water. 

 It was his own fault that he was killed." The Makololo 



