380 
AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 
the men whom the naturalists had trained as skinners. The 
porters were men of Uganda; the askaris were from the 
constabulary, and widely different races were represented 
among them, but all had been drilled into soldierly uniform¬ 
ity. The porters were well-clad, well-behaved, fine-looking 
men, and did their work better than the ^"shenzis,” the wild 
Meru of Kikiu tribesmen, whom we had occasionally em¬ 
ployed in East Africa; but they were not the equals of 
the regular East African porters. I think this was largely 
because of their inferior food, for they ate chiefly yams 
and plantains; in other words inferior sweet potatoes and 
bananas. They were quite as fond of singing as the East 
African porters, and in addition were cheered on the march 
by drum and fife; several men had fifes, and one carried 
nothing but one of the big Uganda drums, which he usually 
bore at the head of the safari, marching in company with 
the flag-bearer. Every hour or two the men would halt, 
often beside one of the queer little wicker-work booths in 
which native hucksters disposed of their wares by the road¬ 
side. 
Along the road we often met wayfarers; once or twice 
bullock carts; more often men carrying- rolls of hides or 
long bales of cotton on their heads; or a set of Bahima 
herdsmen, with clear-cut features, guarding their herds of 
huge-horned Angola cattle. 
All greeted us most courteously, frequently crouching 
or kneeling, as is their custom when they salute a superior; 
and we were scrupulous to acknowledge their salutes, and 
to return their greetings in the native fashion, with words 
of courtesy and long drawn e-h-h-s and a-a-h-s. Along the 
line of march the chiefs had made preparations to receive 
