350 



THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



ti ! Ti-ti ! tang ! " of the tusk-bells, and the loud broken 

 44 Wa-ta-ta ! " of the horns, are strapped below the knee 

 or round the ankle by the more aristocratic. All carry 

 some weapon; the heaviest armed have a bow and a 

 bark-quiver full of arrows, two or three long spears 

 and assegais, a little battle-axe borne on the shoulder, 

 and the sime or dudgeon. 



The normal recreations of a march are, whistling, 

 singing, shouting, hooting, horning, drumming, imitat- 

 ing the cries of birds and beasts, repeating words which 

 are never used except on journeys — a " chough's lan- 

 guage, gabble enough and good enough" — and abun- 

 dant squabbling ; in fact perpetual noise which the ear 

 however, soon learns to distinguish for the hubbub of a 

 halt. The uproar redoubles near a village, where the 

 flag is unfurled and where the line lags to display 

 itself. All give vent to loud shouts, "Hopa! hopa! — go 

 on ! go on ! Mgogolo ! — a stoppage ! Food ! food ! 

 Don't be tired! The kraal is here — home is near! 

 Hasten, kirangozi — Oh ! We see our mothers! We go 

 to eat ! " On the road it is considered prudent as well as 

 pleasurable to be as loud as possible, in order to impress 

 upon plunderers an exaggerated idea of the caravan's 

 strength ; for equally good reasons silence is recom- 

 mended in the kraal. When threatened with attack 

 and no ready escape suggests itself, the porters ground 

 their loads and prepare for action. It is only self-in- 

 terest that makes them brave ; I have seen a small cow, 

 trotting up with tail erect, break a line of 150 men 

 carrying goods not their own. If a hapless hare or 

 antelope cross the path, every man casts his pack, 

 brandishes his spear, and starts in pursuit ; the animal 

 never running straight is soon killed, and torn limb 

 from limb, each negroid helluo devouring his morsel 



