It is
wonderful what an experienced native mpishi (cook)
can turn out in the way of a meal in a few minutes after
camp is pitched.
As gun-bearer, most hunters prefer a Somali. I have
never tried one, but am told that they are inclined to
be troublesome; they certainly rate themselves very
highly, and demand about four times as much wages as
an equally good Swahili.
In camp, the duties of the askaris are to keep up the
fire and watch at night, and to pitch and strike the
Bwana's (Master's) tent. On the march one leads the
caravan, the other brings up the rear; they give
assistance in the event of any trouble with the loads,
see that no desertions take place, allow no straggling
and generally do what they can to protect the caravan.
They are each armed with an old snider rifle and 10
rounds of ball cartridge, and are generally very
dangerous men to their friends when they take it into their
heads to fire their weapons.
The ordinary porters will carry their 60-lb. loads day
in and day out without complaint, so long as they are,
well fed; but stint them of their rice, and they at once
become sulky mutineers. In addition to carrying the
loads, they pitch and strike camp, procure firewood and
water, and build grass huts if a stay of more than a day
is intended to be made at one place. On the whole, the
Swahili porter is one of the jolliest and most willing
fellows in the world, and I have nothing but praise for him.
It may be that our sportsman intends to confine his
shooting trip to the neighbourhood of the railway; in
this case, the best plan is to hire one of the special
carriages from the Traffic Manager of the Uganda
Railway. These carriages, which have good sleeping,
cooking, and bath accommodation, can be attached to
almost any train, and moved from station to station or
left standing in a siding at the directions of the hunter.
This is the cheapest and most comfortable way of
spending a short time in the country, as no tent, camp
equipment, or regular porters are required; and some
quite good sport can be obtained into the bargain.
Again, if the hunter intends shooting, say, in the
Kenya Province, as many porters as he requires may be
obtained from the official in charge at Fort Hall.
The pay of the Kikuyu porter in such circumstances
is only two annas a day, while he provides his own
food; neither is the sportsman asked to furnish him
with a blanket, jersey, and water-bottle so long as he
is not taken out of his own Province. Each Province
is, in fact, governed as regards porters by its own special
conditions, which can easily be ascertained on arrival in
the country.
