24 CU1ES of "bomah" and "posho." 
their weight — a ludicrous scene of confusion and 
squabbling. Their captain, distinguished by a high 
head-dress of ostrich plumes stuck through a strip of 
scarlet flannel, seeing all ready, led the caravan in single 
file with great dignity during the march. The pace 
was never more than three and a half miles per hour. 
When the captain put down his load for as many 
minutes as he thought necessary, the rest, a gang of 
naked, woolly-haired negroes, with only an airy cover- 
ing of goat-skin in front, would also stop and refresh 
themselves with pipes, snuff, grain, dancing, and sing- 
ing choruses. Generally there was an argument to 
settle how long the march should continue; and many 
were the excuses found for a halt, no water ahead 
being a common one. Once camped, and the loads 
stacked amidst cries of "Bomah!" or ring-fence, and 
" Posho ! " or food, the first concern with every one was 
to receive his day's wages, consisting of either a portion 
of cloth or one necklace of beads, while we retired to 
tents seven feet square, which were generally sheltered 
under a tree, with the kit and natives all round us, a 
motley crew. If we had that day arrived at the 
headquarters of a sultan, an officer would call saying 
his master must have so many cloths, with various 
other articles, and he must himself have so many 
more. Strong arguments and menaces would follow, 
and it sometimes took several days to the confer- 
ence, as the sultan would be reported absent, or, more 
often, tipsy. However, once settled, if no porters 
absconded, we were free to proceed on our journey. 
I may here remark that nothing can exceed the noise 
and jollity of an African camp at night. We, the 
masters, were often unable to hear ourselves talk for 
