68 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
CHAP. 
naturally those of others and especially of his master 
appear to him more truly humorous. He is sublimely 
happy with a little music and dancing, but failing this 
is content to sit and gossip for hours, as will invariably 
be observed round a camp fire. Newcomers often 
wonder what all the talk is about. The answer is 
that, as in our Clubs, the bulk of conversation consists 
of indecent stories and experiences, the second 
favourite topic being the iniquities of his masters and 
superiors, which topic takes the place with us of the 
defects of the Government of the day. 
As to his faults—laziness is one ; though when 
there is any special occasion or any unwonted call on 
his energies, he may be relied on. Thus your Swahili 
butler will be at his best when a large and unexpected 
party is suddenly thrust on him ; or on Safari your 
Swahili headman or gunbearer shines when there is an 
unusually long march under depressing circumstances, 
or the caravan has to be transported across a rain- 
swollen torrent. It is in the ordinary wear and tear 
of everyday life that his laziness shows itself, or 
perhaps rather that he becomes bored. Dusting, 
sweeping, gun-cleaning, etc., require constant super¬ 
vision, and in fact he will fail in any daily task after 
about a week, unless an eye is on him. Drunkenness 
is, and always has been, another failing in the equip¬ 
ment of the Swahili. In his own country he makes a 
villainous concoction, “ tembo,” from tapping cocoanut 
trees, but in the Highlands he is not averse to any 
reasonable substitute, such as can always be provided 
by the nearest Indian. Usually speaking, he does 
not let his love of spirits interfere to any great extent 
with his work. There are, however, exceptions. I 
recollect one dinner party at the inception of which 
