OUR MEN AND THEIR EQUIPMENTS. 
39 
had been with Stanley on the Congo and learnt too 
much ! I should certainly never employ him again, as 
I believe he was at the bottom of all the difficulties 
which arose between us and our men. Then followed 
Omari, a native of a very different type, who had 
been a sergeant in the Sultan’s army, a very good 
and useful fellow who could read and write Arabic. 
His chief duties were to keep the muster roll, portion 
out the food, regulate the pay, and march in front of 
the caravan with our flag. After him were Bohete 
and Suleiman, two very good head men, Preston, 
Jumma-Orioladi, and Ivasibete, who all spoke English. 
Then came about sixteen lesser lights, who carried 
no loads, unless some of the porters broke down, 
but whose duties were to keep the carriers in order on 
the march and do the principal part of the tent-pitching, 
building, and hedging, when we came to camp. They 
were armed with long or short sniders with bayonets, 
and we had, in addition, about one hundred and thirty 
mixed Zanzibaris, who carried short sniders and old 
muzzle-loaders. Many of these were really well-built 
men, with great powers of endurance, and capable of 
carrying heavy loads for long distances on short allow¬ 
ances of food and drink ; their full rations only consisted 
of one pound of rice, indian corn, or bananas. The 
last of the caravan consisted of one hundred and twenty 
mission men, a class very difficult to manage. ‘ Their 
disposition and physique may have been injured by 
their religious training, for the majority were idle, 
drunken, and untrustworthy, and never attempted to 
