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 than 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.
How, 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 no 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, I 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 If
The language of. this people is just as strange as they
are themselves. It is based on euphony, from which cause
it is very complex, the more especially so as it requires
one to be possessed of a negro’s turn of mind to appreciate
the system, and unravel the secret of its euphonic concord.
A Kisiiahili grammar, written by Hr Krapf, will
exemplify what I mean. There is one peculiarity, however,
to which I would direct the attention of the reader
most particularly, which is, that Wa prefixed to the
fssential word of a country, means men or people;
M prefixed, means man or individual; U, in the same
way, means place or locality; and K i prefixed, indicates
the language. Example:—Wagogo, is the people of Gogo;
Mgogo, is a Gogo man; Ugogo, is the country of Gogo;
and Kigogo, the language of Gogo.
■ The only direction here necessary as regards pronunciation
of native words refers to the u, which represents a
sound corresponding to that of the oo in woo.