the land of footprints-第32章

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en…Fundi；　the　Expert。　He　returned　carrying　a　rifle；　rigged　from　top　to　toe　in　new　garments　and　fancy　accoutrements；　followed　by　a　toro；　or　small　boy；　he　had　bought　from　some　of　the　savage　tribes　to　carry　his　blanket　and　cooking　pot　for　him。　To　the　friends　who　darted　out　to　the　line　of　march；　he　was　gracious；　but　he　held　his　head　high；　and　had　no　time　for　mere　persiflage。

I　did　not　take　Fundi　on　my　second　expedition；　for　I　had　no　real　use　for　a　second　gunbearer。　Several　times　subsequently　I　saw　him　on　the　streets　of　Nairobi。　Always　he　came　up　to　greet　me；　and　ask　solicitously　if　I　would　not　give　him　a　job。　This　I　was　unable　to　do。　When　we　paid　off；　I　had　made　an　addition　to　his　porter's　wages；　and　had　written　him　a　chit。　This　said　that　the　boy　had　the　makings　of　a　gunbearer　with　further　training。　It　would　have　been　unfair　to　possible　white　employers　to　have　said　more。　Fundi　was；　when　I　left　the　country；　precisely　in　the　position　of　any　young　man　who　tries　to　rise　in　the　world。　He　would　not　again　take　a　load　as　porter；　and　he　was　not　yet　skilled　enough　or　known　enough　to　pick　up　more　than　stray　jobs　as　gunbearer。　Before　him　was　struggle　and　hard　times；　with　a　certainty　of　a　highly　considered　profession　if　he　won　through。　Behind　him　was　steady　work　without　outlets　for　ambition。　It　was　distinctly　up　to　him　to　prove　whether　he　had　done　well　to　reach　for　ambition；　or　whether　he　would　have　done　better　in　contentment　with　his　old　lot。　And　that　is　in　essence　a　good　deal　like　our　own　world　isn't　it？



XVII。　NATIVES

Up　to　this　time；　save　for　a　few　Masai　at　the　very　beginning　of　our　trip；　we　had　seen　no　natives　at　all。　Only　lately；　the　night　of　the　lion　dance；　one　of　the　Wanderobo…the　forest　hunters…had　drifted　in　to　tell　us　of　buffalo　and　to　get　some　meat。　He　was　a　simple　soul；　small　and　capable；　of　a　beautiful　red…brown；　with　his　hair　done　up　in　a　tight；　short　queue。　He　wore　three　skewers　about　six　inches　long　thrust　through　each　of　his　ears；　three　strings　of　blue　beads　on　his　neck；　a　bracelet　tight　around　his　upper　arm；　a　bangle　around　his　ankle；　a　pair　of　rawhide　sandals；　and　about　a　half　yard　of　cotton　cloth　which　he　hung　from　one　shoulder。　As　weapons　he　carried　a　round…headed；　heavy　club；　or　runga；　and　a　long…bladed　spear。　He　led　us　to　buffalo；　accepted　a　thirty…three　cent　blanket；　and　made　fire　with　two　sticks　in　about　thirty　seconds。　The　only　other　evidences　of　human　life　we　had　come　across　were　a　few　beehives　suspended　in　the　trees。　These　were　logs；　bored　hollow　and　stopped　at　either　end。　Some　of　them　were　very　quaintly　carved。　They　hung　in　the　trees　like　strange　fruits。

Now；　however；　after　leaving　the　Isiola；　we　were　to　quit　the　game　country　and　for　days　travel　among　the　swarming　millions　of　the　jungle。

A　few　preliminary　and　entirely　random　observations　may　be　permitted　me　by　way　of　clearing　the　ground　for　a　conception　of　these　people。　These　observations　do　not　pretend　to　be　ethnological；　nor　even　common　logical。

The　first　thing　for　an　American　to　realize　is　that　our　own　negro　population　came　mainly　from　the　West　Coast；　and　differed　utterly　from　these　peoples　of　the　highlands　in　the　East。　Therefore　one　must　first　of　all　get　rid　of　the　mental　image　of　our　own　negro　〃dressed　up〃　in　savage　garb。　Many　of　these　tribes　are　not　negro　at　all…the　Somalis；　the　Nandi；　and　the　Masai；　for　example…while　others　belong　to　the　negroid　and　Nilotic　races。　Their　colour　is　general　cast　more　on　the　red…bronze　than　the　black；　though　the　Kavirondos　and　some　others　are　black　enough。　The　texture　of　their　skin　is　very　satiny　and　wonderful。　This　perfection　is　probably　due　to　the　constant　anointing　of　the　body　with　oils　of　various　sorts。　As　a　usual　thing　they　are　a　fine　lot　physically。　The　southern　Masai　will　average　between　six　and　seven　feet　in　height；　and　are　almost　invariably　well　built。　Of　most　tribes　the　physical　development　is　remarkably　strong　and　graceful；　and　a　great　many　of　the　women　will　display　a　rounded；　firm；　high…breasted　physique　in　marked　contrast　to　the　blacks　of　the　lowlands。　Of　the　different　tribes　possibly　the　Kikuyus　are　apt　to　count　the　most　weakly　and　spindly　examples：　though　some　of　these　people；　perhaps　a　majority；　are　well　made。

Furthermore；　the　native　differentiates　himself　still　further　in　impression　from　our　negro　in　his　carriage　and　the　mental　attitude　that　lies　behind　it。　Our　people　are　trying　to　pattern　themselves　on　white　men；　and　succeed　in　giving　a　more　or　less　shambling　imitation　thereof。　The　native　has　standards；　ideas；　and　ideals　that　perfectly　satisfy　him；　and　that　antedated　the　white　man's　coming　by　thousands　of　years。　The　consciousness　of　this　reflects　itself　in　his　outward　bearing。　He　does　not　shuffle；　he　is　not　either　obsequious　or　impudent。　Even　when　he　acknowledges　the　white　man's　divinity　and　pays　it　appropriate　respect；　he　does　not　lose　the　poise　of　his　own　well…worked…out　attitude　toward　life　and　toward　himself。

We　are　fond　of　calling　these　people　primitive。　In　the　world's　standard　of　measurement　they　are　primitive；　very　primitive　indeed。　But　ordinarily　by　that　term；　we　mean　also　undeveloped；　embryonic。　In　that　sense　we　are　wrong。　Instead　of　being　at　the　very　dawn　of　human　development；　these　people　are　at　the　end…as　far　as　they　themselves　are　concerned。　The　original　racial　impulse　that　started　them　down　the　years　toward　development　has　fulfilled　its　duty　and　spent　its　force。　They　have　worked　out　all　their　problems；　established　all　their　customs；　arranged　the　world　and　its　phenomena　in　a　philosophy　to　their　complete　satisfaction。　They　have　lived；　ethnologists　tell　us；　for　thousands；　perhaps　hundreds　of　thousands　of　years；　just　as　we　find　them　to…day。　From　our　standpoint　that　is　in　a　hopeless　intellectual　darkness；　for　they　know　absolutely　nothing　of　the　most　elementary　subjects　of　knowledge。　From　their　standpoint；　however；　they　have　reached　the　highest　DESIRABLE　pinnacle　of　human　development。　Nothing　remains　to　be　changed。　Their　customs；　religions；　and　duties　have　been　worked　out　and　immutably　established　long　ago；　and　nobody　dreams　of　questioning　either　their　wisdom　or　their　imperative　necessity。　They　are　the　conservatives　of　the　world。

Nor　must　we　conclude…looking　at　them　with　the　eyes　of　our　own　civilization…that　the　savage　is；　from　his　standpoint；　lazy　and　idle。　His　life　is　laid　out　more　rigidly　than　ours　will　be　for　a　great　many　thousands　of　years。　From　childhood　to　old　age　he　performs　his　every　act　in　accord　with　prohibitions　and　requirements。　He　must　remember　them　all；　for　ignorance　does　not　divert　consequences。　He　must　observe　them　all；　in　pain　of　terrible　punishments。　For　example；　never　may　he　cultivate　on　the　site　of　a　grave；　and　the　plants　that　spring　up　from　it　must　never　be　cut。*　He　must　make　certain　complicated　offerings　before　venturing　to　harvest　a　crop。　On　crossing　the　first　stream　of　a　journey　he　must　touch　his　lips　with　the　end　of　his　wetted　bow；　wade　across；　drop　a　stone　on　the　far　side；　and　then　drink。　If　he　cuts　his　nails；　he　must　throw　the　parings　into　a　thicket。　If　he　drink　from　a　stream；　and　also　cross　it；　he　must　eject　a　mouthful　of　water　back　into　the　stream。　He　must　be　particularly　careful　not　to　look　his　mother…in…law　in　the　face。　Hundreds　of　omens　by　the　manner　of　their　happening　may　modify　actions；　as；　on　what　side　of　the　road　a　woodpecker　calls；　or　in　which　direction　a　hyena　or　jackal　crosses　the　path；　how　the　ground　hornbill　flies　or　alights；　and　the　like。　He　must　notice　these　things；　and　change　his　plans　according　to　their　occurrence。　If　he　does　not　notice　them；　they　exercise　their　influence　just　the　same。　This　does　not　encourage　a　distrait　mental　attitude。　Also　it　goes　far　to　explain　otherwise　unexplainable　visitations。　Truly；　as　Hobley　says　in　his　unexcelled　work　on　the　A…Kamba；　〃the　life　of　a　savage　native　is　a　complex　matter；　and　he　is　hedged　round　by　all　sorts　of　rules　and　prohibitions；　the　infringement　of　which　will　probably　cause　his　death；　if　only　by　the　intense　belief　he　has　in　the　rules　which　guide　his　life。〃

*Customs　are　not　universal　among　the　different　tribes。　I　am　merely　illustrating。


For　these　rules　and　customs　he　never　attempts　to　give　a　reason。　They　are；　and　that　is　all　there　is　to　it。　A　mere　statement：　〃This　is　the　custom〃　settle