. Tramps round the Mountains of the Moon and through the back gate of the Congo State . r cowman would never quite forgive you if yourequired it of him ; thus very little things may be-come serious hindrances to harmony. When youknow your boys, and have got to know the language,these difficulties tend to disappear (though never quitewholly) ; but when you know neither, and are ignorantof customs elsewhere, empaka (disputes) amongstthe boys become a fruitful source of annoyance. It may sound very extravagant when I say that Ikept five servants, especially if you recall that myhouse consisted of
. Tramps round the Mountains of the Moon and through the back gate of the Congo State . r cowman would never quite forgive you if yourequired it of him ; thus very little things may be-come serious hindrances to harmony. When youknow your boys, and have got to know the language,these difficulties tend to disappear (though never quitewholly) ; but when you know neither, and are ignorantof customs elsewhere, empaka (disputes) amongstthe boys become a fruitful source of annoyance. It may sound very extravagant when I say that Ikept five servants, especially if you recall that myhouse consisted of but two rooms besides the boysapartment. But then the work done by each is notof a very exacting character, the idea of going througha good mornings concentrated work being quiteforeign to their customs. The fact is, they do notcome to you as servants but rather as feudal their own native territorial distribution, each manmust belong to some chief, and each chief calls acertain number of boys round him to perform variousservices. He provides them with a home, with food. MAKING FRIENDS loi and clothing, and in some cases furnishes them withthe dowry for a wife later on. But the boy maytransfer his allegiance if he pleases, though the tieof old association is fairly strong and he would notmove but for some serious reason. When a European arrives, inasmuch as he will notbe content with the same degree of filth as sometimesholds in a chiefs household, and so will provide newcloth more often, he may be pretty sure of receivingplenty of offers of service. He will hardly wish, how-ever, to take more than necessary, because of thelikehhood of mischief with idle boys around, andbecause also of the difficulty of providing themwith food. For feeding them he will need to keep a staff ofthree or four women, to cultivate a banana planta-tion, and plant sweet potatoes, and beans, and Indiancorn. It is needless to say that boys cooked for bythese women are not always satisfied, a
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