the land of footprints-第47章

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　have　a　hard　time　indeed。　Also；　when　he　observes　the　labour　of　tent…making；　packing；　washing；　and　general　service　performed　by　his　tent　boy；　he　abandons　the　notion　that　that　individual　could　just　as　well　take　care　of　the　horse　as　well；　especially　as　the　horse　has　to　have　all　his　grass　cut　and　brought　to　him。　At　evening　our　friend　has　a　hot　bath；　a　long　cool　fizzly　drink　of　lime　juice　and　soda；　he　puts　on　the　clean　clothes　laid　out　for　him；　assumes　soft　mosquito　boots；　and　sits　down　to　dinner。　This　is　served　to　him　in　courses；　and　on　enamel　ware。　Each　course　has　its　proper…sized　plate　and　cutlery。　He　starts　with　soup；　goes　down　through　tinned　whitebait　or　other　fish；　an　entree；　a　roast；　perhaps　a　curry；　a　sweet；　and　small　coffee。　He　is　certainly　being　〃done　well；〃　and　he　enjoys　the　comfort　of　it。

There　comes　a　time　when　he　begins　to　wonder　a　little。　It　is　all　very　pleasant；　of　course；　and　perhaps　very　necessary；　they　all　tell　him　it　is。　But；　after　all；　it　is　a　little　galling　to　the　average　man　to　think　that　of　him。　Your　Englishman　doesn't　mind　that；　he　enjoys　being　taken　care　of：　but　the　sportsman　of　American　training　likes　to　stand　on　his　own　feet　as　far　as　he　is　able　and　conditions　permit。　Besides；　it　is　expensive。　Besides　that；　it　is　a　confounded　nuisance；　especially　when　potio　gives　out　and　more　must　be　sought；　near　or　far。　Then；　if　he　is　wise；　he　begins　to　do　a　little　figuring　on　his　own　account。

My　experience　was　very　much　as　above。　Three　of　us　went　out　for　eleven　weeks　with　what　was　considered　a　very　〃modest〃　safari　indeed。　It　comprised　one　hundred　and　eighteen　men。　My　fifth　and　last　trip；　also　with　two　companions；　was　for　three　months。　Our　personnel　consisted；　all　told；　forty　men。

In　essentials　the　Englishman　is　absolutely　right。　One　cannot　camp　in　Africa　as　one　would　at　home。　The　experimenter　would　be　dead　in　a　month。　In　his　application　of　that　principle；　however；　he　seems　to　the　American　point　of　view　to　overshoot。　Let　us　examine　his　proposition　in　terms　of　the　essentials…food；　clothing；　shelter。　There　is　no　doubt　but　that　a　man　must　keep　in　top　condition　as　far　as　possible；　and　that；　to　do　so；　he　must　have　plenty　of　good　food。　He　can　never　do　as　we　do　on　very　hard　trips　at　home：　take　a　little　tea；　sugar；　coffee；　flour；　salt；　oatmeal。　But　on　the　other　hand；　he　certainly　does　not　need　a　five…course　dinner　every　night；　nor　a　complete　battery　of　cutlery；　napery　and　table　ware　to　eat　it　from。　Flour；　sugar；　oatmeal；　tea　and　coffee；　rice；　beans；　onions；　curry；　dried　fruits；　a　little　bacon；　and　some　dehydrated　vegetables　will　do　him　very　well　indeed…with　what　he　can　shoot。　These　will　pack　in　waterproof　bags　very　comfortably。　In　addition　to　feeding　himself　well；　he　finds　he　must　not　sleep　next　to　the　ground；　he　must　have　a　hot　bath　every　day；　but　never　a　cold　one；　and　he　must　shelter　himself　with　a　double　tent　against　the　sun。

Those　are　the　absolute　necessities　of　the　climate。　In　other　words；　if　he　carries　a　double　tent；　a　cot；　a　folding　bath；　and　gives　a　little　attention　to　a　properly　balanced　food　supply；　he　has　met　the　situation。

If；　in　addition；　he　takes　canned　goods；　soda　siphons；　lime　juice；　easy　chairs　and　all　the　rest　of　the　paraphernalia；　he　is　merely　using　a　basic　principle　as　an　excuse　to　include　sheer　luxuries。　In　further　extenuation　of　this　he　is　apt　to　argue　that　porters　are　cheap；　and　that　it　costs　but　little　more　to　carry　these　extra　comforts。　Against　this　argument；　of　course；　I　have　nothing　to　say。　It　is　the　inalienable　right　of　every　man　to　carry　all　the　luxuries　he　wants。　My　point　is　that　the　average　American　sportsman　does　not　want　them；　and　only　takes　them　because　he　is　overpersuaded　that　these　things　are　not　luxuries；　but　necessities。　For；　mark　you；　he　could　take　the　same　things　into　the　Sierras　or　the　North…by　paying；　but　he　doesn't。

I　repeat；　it　is　the　inalienable　right　of　any　man　to　travel　as　luxuriously　as　he　pleases。　But　by　the　same　token　it　is　not　his　right　to　pretend　that　luxuries　are　necessities。　That　is　to　put　himself　into　the　same　category　with　the　man　who　always　finds　some　other　excuse　for　taking　a　drink　than　the　simple　one　that　he　wants　it。

The　Englishman's　point　of　view　is　that　he　objects　to　〃pigging　it；〃　as　he　says。　〃Pigging　it〃　means　changing　your　home　habits　in　any　way。　If　you　have　been　accustomed　to　eating　your　sardines　after　a　meal；　and　somebody　offers　them　to　you　first；　that　is　〃pigging　it。〃　In　other　words；　as　nearly　as　I　can　make　out；　〃pigging　it〃　does　not　so　much　mean　doing　things　in　an　inadequate　fashion　as　DOING　THEM　DIFFERENTLY。　Therefore；　the　Englishman　in　the　field　likes　to　approximate　as　closely　as　may　be　his　life　in　town；　even　if　it　takes　one　hundred　and　fifty　men　to　do　it。　Which　reduces　the　〃pigging　it〃　argument　to　an　attempt　at　condemnation　by　calling　names。

The　American　temperament；　on　the　contrary；　being　more　experimental　and　independent；　prefers　to　build　anew　upon　its　essentials。　Where　the　Englishman　covers　the　situation　blanket…wise　with　his　old　institutions；　the　American　prefers　to　construct　new　institutions　on　the　necessities　of　the　case。　He　objects　strongly　to　being　taken　care　of　too　completely。　He　objects　strongly　to　losing　the　keen　enjoyment　of　overcoming　difficulties　and　enduring　hardships。　The　Englishman　by　habit　and　training　has　no　such　objections。　He　likes　to　be　taken　care　of；　financially；　personally；　and　everlastingly。　That　is　his　ideal　of　life。　If　he　can　be　taken　care　of　better　by　employing　three　hundred　porters　and　packing　eight　tin　trunks　of　personal　effects…as　I　have　seen　it　done…he　will　so　employ　and　take。　That　is　all　right：　he　likes　it。

But　the　American　does　not　like　it。　A　good　deal　of　the　fun　for　him　is　in　going　light；　in　matching　himself　against　his　environment。　It　is　no　fun　to　him　to　carry　his　complete　little　civilization　along　with　him；　laboriously。　If　he　must　have　cotton　wool；　let　it　be　as　little　cotton　wool　as　possible。　He　likes　to　be　comfortable；　but　he　likes　to　be　comfortable　with　the　minimum　of　means。　Striking　just　the　proper　balance　somehow　adds　to　his　interest　in　the　game。　And　how　he　DOES　object　to　that　ever…recurring　thought…that　he　is　such　a　helpless　mollusc　that　it　requires　a　small　regiment　to　get　him　safely　around　the　country！

Both　means　are　perfectly　legitimate；　of　course；　and　neither　view　is　open　to　criticism。　All　either　man　is　justified　in　saying　is　that　he；　personally；　wouldn't　get　much　fun　out　of　doing　it　the　other　way。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　human　nature　generally　goes　beyond　its　justifications　and　is　prone　to　criticise。　The　Englishman　waxes　a　trifle　caustic　on　the　subject　of　〃pigging　it〃；　and　the　American　indulges　in　more　than　a　bit　of　sarcasm　on　the　subject　of　〃being　led　about　Africa　like　a　dog　on　a　string。〃

By　some　such　roundabout　mental　process　as　the　above　the　American　comes　to　the　conclusion　that　he　need　not　necessarily　adopt　the　other　fellow's　method　of　playing　this　game。　His　own　method　needs　modification；　but　it　will　do。　He　ventures　to　leave　out　the　tables　and　easy　chair；　takes　a　camp　stool　and　eats　off　a　chop　box。　To　the　best　of　his　belief　his　health　does　not　suffer　from　this。　He　gets　on　with　a　camper's　allowance　of　plate；　cup　and　cutlery；　and　so　cuts　out　a　load　and　a　half　of　assorted　kitchen　utensils　and　table　ware。　He　even　does　without　a　tablecloth　and　napkins！　He　discards　the　lime　juice　and　siphons；　and　purchases　a　canvas　evaporation　bag　to　cool　the　water。　He　fires　one　gunbearer；　and　undertakes　the　formidable　physical　feat　of　carrying　one　of　his　rifles　himself。　And；　above　all；　he　modifies　that　grub　list。　The　purchase　of　waterproof　bags　gets　rid　of　a　lot　of　tin：　the　staple　groceries　do　quite　as　well　as　London　fancy　stuff。　Golden　syrup　takes　the　place　of　all　the　miscellaneous　jams；　marmalades　and　other　sweets。　The　canned　goods　go　by　the　board。　He　lays　in　a　stock　of　dried　fruit。　At　the　end；　he　is　possessed　of　a　grub　list　but　little　different　from　that　of　his　Rocky　Mountain　trips。　Some　few　items　he　has　cut　down；　and　some　he　has　substituted；　but　bulk　and　weight　are　the　same。　For　his　three　months'　trip　he　has　four　or　five　chop　boxes　all　told。

And　then　suddenly　he　finds　that　thus　he　has　made　a　reduction　all　along　the　line。　Tent　load；　two　men；　grub　and　kitchen；　five　men；　personal；　one　man；　bed；　one　man；　miscellaneous；　one　or　two。　There　is　now　no　need　for　headmen　and　askaris　to　handle　this　little　lot。　Twenty　more　to　carry　food　for　the　men…he　is　off　with　a　quarter　of　the　number　of　his　first　〃modest　safari。〃

You　who　are　sportsmen　and　are　not　going　to　Africa；　as　is　the　case　with　most；　will　perhaps　read　this；　because　we　are　always　interested　in　how　the　other　fellow　does　it。　To　the　few　who　are　intending　an　exploration　of　the　dark　continent　this　concentration　of　a　year's　experience　may　be　valuable。　Remember　to　sleep　off　the　ground；　not　to　starve　yourself；　to　protect　yourself　from　the　sun；　to　let　negroes　do　all　hard　work　but　marching　and　hunting。　Do　these　things　your　own　way；　using　your　common…sense　on　how　to　get　at　it。　You'll　be　all　right。

That；　I　conceive；　covers　the　case。　The　remainder　of　your　equipment　has　to　do　with　camp　affairs；　and　merely　needs　listing。　The　question　here　is　not　of　the　sort　to　get；　but　of　what　to　take。　The　tents；　cooking　affairs；　etc。；　are　well　adapted　to　the　country。　In　selecting　your　tent；　however；　you　will　do　very　well　to　pick　out　one　whose　veranda　fly　reaches　fairly　to　the　ground；　instead　of　stopping　halfway。

1　tent　and　ground　sheet　1　folding　cot　and　cork　mattress；　1　pillow；　3　single　blankets　1　combined　folding　bath　and　ashstand　（〃X〃　brand）　1　camp　stool　3　folding　candle　lanterns　1　gallon　turpentine　3　lbs。　alum　1　river　rope　Sail　needles　and　twine　3　pangas　（native　tools　for　chopping　and　digging）　Cook　outfit　（select　these　yourself；　and　cut　out　the　extras）　2　axes　（small）　Plenty　laundry　soap　Evaporation　bag　2　pails　10　yards　cotton　cloth　（〃Mericani〃）

These　things；　your　food；　your　porters'　outfits　and　what　trade　goods　you　may　need　are　quite　sufficient。　You　will　have　all　you　want；　and　not　too　much。　If　you　take　care　of　yourself；　you　ought　to　keep　in　good　health。　Your　small　outfit　permits　greater　mobility　than　does　that　of　the　English　cousin；　infinitely　less　nuisance　and　expense。　Furthermore；　you　feel　that　once　more　you　are　〃next　to　things；〃　instead　of　〃being　led　about　Africa　like　a　dog　on　a　string。〃



APPENDIX　V。　THE　AMERICAN　IN　AFRICA

WHAT　HE　SHOULD　TAKE

Before　going　to　Africa　I　read　as　many　books　as　I　could　get　hold　of　on　the　subject；　some　of　them　by　Americans。　In　every　case　the　authors　have　given　a　chapter　detailing　the　necessary　outfit。　Invariably　they　have　followed　the　Englishman's　ideas　almost　absolutely。　Nobody　has　ventured　to　modify　those　ideas　in　any　essential　manner。　Some　have　deprecatingly　ventured　to　remark　that　it　is　as　well　to　leave　out　the　tinned　carfare…if　you　do　not　like　carfare；　but　that　is　as　far　as　they　care　to　go。　The　lists　are　those　of　the　firms　who　make　a　business　of　equipping　caravans。　The　heads　of　such　firms　are　generally　old　African　travellers。　They　furnish　the　equipment　their　customers　demand；　and　as　English　sportsmen　generally　all　demand　the　same　thing；　the　firms　end　by　issuing　a　printed　list　of　essentials　for　shooting　parties　in　Africa；　including　carfare。　Travellers　follow　the　lists　blindly；　and　later　copy　them　verbatim　into　their　books。　Not　one　has　though