Identifier: naturalistinmida00elli (find matches)
Title: A naturalist in Mid-Africa: being an account of a journey to the Mountains of the Moon and Tanganyika
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Elliot, G. F. Scott (George Francis Scott), 1862-1934
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: London A.D. Innes & Co.
Contributing Library: Field Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: The Field Museum's Africa Council

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been first1 given to the followers of Imam Amm Zaid,at Shangaya, near Lamu. The term is nowapplied indiscriminately to those half Moham-medan coast-natives who are for the most partslaves of the hybrid Arabs of Zanzibar and EastAfrica. Like all African travellers, I had fullopportunity of understanding these curious people. They are pure savages domesticated by theArabs for the purpose of carrying loads, and, intheir one particular line, they surpass all othernatives except the Wanyamwesi. Their faults in number and enormity can onlybe understood by those who have had the misfor-tune to experience them practically; but it isimpossible not to like them, and even to growreally fond of them, after one begins to understandwhat children they really are. They have beenbrought up with the hippo-hide whip, and unfor-tunately cannot be managed even now without its 341 342 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. use; the Arabs have managed to destroy almostall the moral nature they ever possessed, and any
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Fig. 44.—The Originals—Wahteita. attempt to Christianise them is almost impos-sible. THE SUAHILI. 343 A Catholic priest after spending two hours indescribing the probable future state of an oldSuahili, was met by the following overwhelmingreply : Mimi Mzee nataka ku karibia moto (Iam an old man, I like to be near the fire) ! In fact, they are totally incapable of lookingforward even a day ahead. A man will sell histent to buy a goat, although he knows this meanssleeping in the cold for months, as well as greatpersonal danger from hyenas and leopards. Themanner in which some travellers attempt toreplace corporal punishment by fines is for thisreason perfectly useless as well as cruel. When an unfortunate porter gets 10 rupees amonth for carrying a heavy load some 10 miles aday, it is too bad to diminish that scanty sum ;and the man cannot realise that you will do it,even if you have the necessary cruelty in yourdisposition. Along with this absence of foresightone finds curious, eve

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