At Other
Times When He Is Called, He Will Come Sucking Away At The Spout
Of A Tea-Pot, Or, Scratching His Naked Arm-Pits With A Table-
Knife, Or, Perhaps, Polishing The Plates For Dinner With His
Dirty Loin-Cloth.
If sent to market to purchase a fowl, he comes
back with a cock tied by the legs to the end of a stick, swinging
and squalling in the most piteous manner.
Then, arrived at the
cook-shop, he throws the bird down on the ground, holds its head
between his toes, plucks the feathers to bare its throat, and
then, raising a prayer, cuts its head off.
But enough of the freed man in camp; on the march he is no
better. If you give him a gun and some ammunition to protect him
in case of emergencies, he will promise to save it, but forthwith
expends it by firing it off in the air, and demands more, else he
will fear to venture amongst the "savages." Suppose you give him
a box of bottles to carry, or a desk, or anything else that
requires great care, and you caution him of its contents, the
first thing he does is to commence swinging it round and round,
or putting it topsy-turvy on the top of his head, when he will
run off at a jog-trot, singing and laughing in the most provoking
manner, and thinking no more about it than if it were an old
stone; even if rain were falling, he would put it in the best
place to get wet through. Economy, care, or forethought never
enters his head; the first thing to hand is the right thing for
him; and rather then take the trouble even to look for his own
rope to tie up his bundle, he would cut off his master's tent-
ropes or steal his comrade's. His greatest delight is in the fair
sex, and when he can't get them, next comes beer, song, and a
dance.
Now, this is a mild specimen of the "rowdy" negro, who has
contributed more to open Africa to enterprise and civilisation
than any one else. Possessed of a wonderful amount of loquacity,
great risibility, but no stability - a creature of impulse - a
grown child, in short - at first sight it seems wonderful how he
can be trained to work; for there is now law, no home to bind
him - he could run away at any moment; and presuming on this, he
sins, expecting to be forgiven. Great forbearance, occasionally
tinctured with a little fatherly severity, is I believe, the best
dose for him; for he says to his master, in the most childish
manner, after sinning, "You ought to forgive and to forget; for
are you not a big man who should be above harbouring spite,
though for a moment you may be angry? Flog me if you like, but
don't keep count against me, else I shall run away; and what will
you do then?"
The language of this people is just as strange as they are
themselves.
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