A THREATENED STRIKE 



19 



Askari who wait behind to lade them. It is difficult to define 

 the duties of the guides as clearly as those of the Askari, for of 

 course they depend very much upon the direction taken by 

 the expedition. For the rest, guards and guides are equally 

 willing, experienced, and trustworthy. Whilst a mere porter 

 is content with a payment of five dollars a month, an Askari 

 requires from six to nine, a guide from nine to fifteen, and in 

 some cases even more, for a trip of one month only. The 

 wages, except for an advance when the bargain is made, are 

 paid at the end of the journey. 



Although the customs as to payment are pretty well esta- 

 blished, several efforts were made to secure more, especially a 

 larger instalment to begin with ; in fact, one day we were 

 threatened with a regular strike. We knew the negro cha- 

 racter too well, however, to yield, and to their cries of ' You can 

 find other men,' we merely answered, £ It's nothing to us what 

 you do, or where and when you go,' which was quite enough 

 to make them all come quietly back to us the next morning. 

 It was more difficult to deal with some of the guides, especially 

 with Manwa Sera, the eldest of them, who, a few days after 

 joining us, demanded nineteen dollars instead of the thirteen 

 arranged for. When the old fellow persisted, we told him 

 bluntly that he might give us back the instalment he had 

 received and go about his business ; which did not please him 

 at all, and, moreover, had a capital effect on the rest of the 

 men, for we heard no more grumbling. 



We completed our preparations in the second half of 

 January 1887. Two hundred Zanzibari, nine Askari, and the 

 nine guides were in readiness to start, as well as 450 porters ; 

 70 loads of iron wire had been sent in advance to Mombasa 

 by steamer, where they were to remain till we could send for 

 them from Taveta. After many consultations with Jumbe 

 Kimemeta, we had decided on Pangani as the starting-point 



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