NATIVE DREAD OF PHOTOGRAPHY. 
123 
Martin replied with commendable tact, “ that if he 
treated us well we should probably give him something 
more.” Martin informed us that it was the invariable 
custom of this greedy savage to appear dissatisfied 
with any present, however magnificent. 
On our return to camp I made great efforts to photo¬ 
graph some of the natives, hut it was a most difficult 
job, as the moment they discovered my intention they 
bolted. However, I succeeded in taking some of them 
unawares. The instantaneous shutter was an especial 
object of dread, being held to be charged with strong 
magic ; hut whenever I had performed successfully upon 
an unsuspecting group, all who had watched the opera¬ 
tion screamed with delight, and declared “ I had cir¬ 
cumcised them” 
Mandara sent us a present of a bullock and bananas 
sufficient to feed the men for two days, and during the 
afternoon paid a visit to our camp. He has a peculiar 
habit of whistling softly to himself whenever a sudden 
thought strikes him or whenever he is surprised at, or 
wants , anything in particular. On this occasion he 
inspected all our belongings most minutely and with 
an ominous amount of whistling. We gave him an old 
shooting-cap, a red woollen nightcap and a red silk 
cummerbund, while he puffed away with evident appre¬ 
ciation at a cigarette we handed him, and declared he 
would send to England for a supply! I referred again 
to the subject of taking his portrait, hut he only replied 
that “ he was not used to it yet.” Forthwith he pulled 
three of his men out of the crowd of natives forming a 
