THE CARAVAN'S GREEDINESS. 357 



idleness rather than walk a few hundred yards to buy 

 grain. Between their dozen meals they puff clouds of 

 pungent tobacco, cough and scream over their jungle- 

 bhang, and chew ashes, quids, and pinches of red earth, 

 probably the graves of white ants. If meat be served 

 out to them, it is eaten as a relish ; it never, however, 

 interferes with the consumption of porridge. A sudden 

 glut of food appears to have the effect of intoxicating 

 them. The Arabs, however, avoiding steady rations, 

 alternately gorge and starve their porters, knowing by 

 experience that such extremes are ever most grateful to 

 the barbarian stomach. The day must be spent in very 

 idleness ; a man will complain bitterly if told to bring 

 up his pack for opening ; and general discontent, with 

 hints concerning desertion, will arise from the mortifica- 

 tion of a muster. On such occasions he and his fellows 

 will raise their voices, — when not half- choked by food — 

 and declare that they will not be called about like ser- 

 vants, and crouch obstinately round the smoky fire, the 

 pictures of unutterable disgust ; and presently enjoy 

 the sweet savour of stick-jaw dough and pearl-holcus 

 like small shot, rat stews, and boiled weeds, which they 

 devour till their " bulge " appears like the crop of a 

 stuffed turkey. Sometimes when their improvidence 

 has threatened them with a Banyan-day, they sit in a 

 melancholy plight, spitefully smoking and wickedly eye- 

 ing our cooking-pots ; on these occasions they have 

 generally a goat or a bullock in store, and, if not, they 

 finesse to obtain one of ours. I always avoid issuing 

 an order to them direct, having been warned by experi- 

 ence that Kidogo or the Kirangozi is the proper channel ; 

 which sorely vexes Valentine and Seedy Bombay, whose 

 sole enjoyment in life is command. I observed that 

 when wanted for extra-work, to remove thorns or 



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