52 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
CHAP. 
appreciate the advantage of the method, and several 
ploughs are already at work in their own Reserve. 
Now we will deal with his faults, not in any 
missionising spirit, but merely from the point of view 
of the settler. Firstly, our friend is an inveterate liar. 
This delightful trait arises from the usual causes : a 
desire to give information pleasing to his questioner, 
laziness which forbids his verifying any information, or 
an immoral desire for gain. The first two causes are 
probably common to all natives ; in the last, in my 
experience, he stands facile princeps. Where mendacity 
is so ingrained a remedy is very hard to find, but the 
evil may be mitigated by never believing a word he 
says. I must confess that, where a boy continually 
attempts to extract money by lies, e.g., says that he has 
completed his task when as a matter of fact he has not 
been near it, I believe that the “kiboko ” has a some¬ 
what salutary effect. Then this tribe are great at 
conspiracy; they are, in fact, born trade unionists. 
Thus has a labourer a grievance, it is not his habit to 
bring it up at once, but rather will he conspire with his 
mates till such a time as he thinks that his master is in 
a fix, when he will, if possible, whet his revenge and 
avarice at the same time. Thus, on a farm the bullock 
boys think that their rate of pay is insufficient or that 
one of them has been unfairly treated. Will they 
complain at once ? Not so. Rather will they wait 
until such a time as their wages have just been paid and 
when it is absolutely essential for some ploughing or 
cross-ploughing to be done. Then will they come up 
in a body and announce their intention of deserting en 
masse unless their demands are instantly fulfilled. To 
safeguard against this absolutely is impossible, but it is 
well to provide against it as far as possible by trying 
