The Old
Grey-Headed Moosa, By Whose Fortune-Telling And Sorcery The Party
Were Invariably Guided, Had Foretold Evil.
This had confirmed
them in their determination to return home.
They were not a bad
set of fellows, but, like most of their class, they required
peculiar management. If natives are driven, they invariably hate
their master, and turn sulky; if you give in to them, they lose
respect, and will never obey. They are exceedingly subject to
sudden impulses, under the influence of which they are utterly
unreasonable. As the expedition depends for success entirely upon
the union of the party, it is highly necessary to obtain so
complete a control over every individual, that the leader shall
be regarded with positive reverence, and his authority in all
matters accepted as supreme. To gain such a complete ascendancy
is a work of time, and is no easy matter, as an extreme amount of
tact and judgment is necessary, combined with great kindness and
common sense, with, at times, great severity. The latter should
be avoided as long as possible.
In this instance, the desertion of my Tokrooris would have been
a great blow to my expedition, as it was necessary to have a
division of parties. I had now Tokrooris, Jaleens, and Hamran
Arabs. Thus they would never unite together, and I was certain to
have some upon my side in a difficulty. Should I lose the
Tokrooris, the Hamran Arabs would have the entire preponderance.
The whole of my Tokrooris formed in line before me and my wife,
just as the camels were about to leave; each man had his little
bundle prepared for starting on a journey.
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