IX 



TRAVELS m EASTERN AFRICA 



403 



with which they were familiar and perfectly recon- 

 ciled. 



I had frequently questioned my men whether they 

 preferred being freemen or slaves. The younger 

 members of the caravan, fascinated perhaps by the 

 novelty of the idea, preferred freedom ; but when the 

 question was asked the older men, they shrugged 

 their shoulders, and said : " It is much better to have 



Camp Scene at Daitcho 



our interests looked after by an Arab, who has in- 

 fluence with the government, than for us stupid 

 people to endeavour to manage our own affairs. Why, 

 when we are slaves, and get ill or in trouble, our 

 master feeds us, or gives us what assistance he can ; 

 but if we were free, we should have to look after our- 

 selves, and it would depend entirely upon our own 

 efforts whether we died or lived. No ; Allah made 

 the Arabs to be our masters ; we like them and their 

 customs. Sometimes they beat us ; sometimes we 



