The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-06

hilarity and temporary energy OF my
boys, together with approval of my
superiors when they surveyed the work
done. and observed the smiling (for-
merly sullenl black faces.
Again, constantly change your boys
from below to above, from heavy work
to light, and vice versa, get up nov
elites for them. as wheelbarrow races
and stone-rolling competitions; humor
them, pet them, chaff them; learn their
names and study their idiosyncrasies;
be firm and punish mildly upon occa-
sion, but never strike or bully, ana a
gang of Kafirs will do much good WORK
They contemptuously regard any
dealings with small stones. Such offer
no excitement, no danger, no prospect
of killing, manning, injuring or fright
ening man or beast, animate or inan1-
mate thing; but set dozen of them to
bring down a two-tonner from the
hill, and they will heave and strain
heroically, keeping time to monoton-
Gus, responsive, 'chanty'-somewhat as
sailors do when hauling at rope;
thus, "Conah la pc boh-eh, boh!" The
spelling is phonetic. AS a high-bred
horse will quicken his pace and tug
and strain at the collar when breast
ing a hill shutting up at the touch
of the whip, so these Kaffirs toll
strenuousy with a huge bowlder,
never pausing until it goes laundering
down into the valley, and so into its
place, or thereabout; for they are not
particular as to locality. And oh! the
joy in their breasts (but not in the
bosom of the white mani, if the de-
scending rock narrowly escapes smash
ing to matchwOod the passing Cape
cart of the engineer in chief, the COM
missioner, or any other parsonage.
Then arises the shrill whistle of de-
light, the wlfoop of victory, and the
yell of scorn; to all of which 1 reply
(the parsonage being absent or miss
ed.) "Lungile-it is Well" Thus, by
degrees, the mountain is denuded of
powders, and the sea wall grows.
The boys are subject to moods, as the
sea. You turn aside for a moment, or
you lead the whole to some place of
safety, warned by the fluttering red
flags indicative of blasting of some adj
jacent point along the works. When
you prepare to resume work, where are
your Kaffirs? Truly everywhere save
where they ought to be- some lost to
view entirely, others squatting in the
bush, smoking as serenely and happi-
ly as though the world were naught
but a school of philosophic thought;
others far up the mountain side are
gathering firewood, wherewith to cook
their mealie-meal in camp. At such
time it Will be well for you to count
the gang and call the roll You can
not get them to realize the solemnity
of labor, you cannot bring a guilty
look upon those ingenious brown
faces. The labor of marshaling a mob
of wild cattle is relaxation compared
with getting a Kaffir gang in order af-
ter STAMPEDE.
They purchase eagerly cast-off boots,
coats, trousers, waistcoats shirts or
a VIC
This standard bid (couched in their
only English) is a joke between them
and the white man, business usually
resulting at a higher figure They re-
gard all vestmentS from an ornamental
rather than an useful standpoint,
WORKOUT military and police tunics
and oVercoats are greatly desired by
them. Though always wearing the
blanket only in camp, they invariably
don clothes when proceeding to work,
wearing these in an original manner
oVercoatS Slung around the IoinS petit
coat-Wise; jackets placed behind be-
fore, and waistcoats outside shirts. the
tails of which wave in the breeze. The
effect Is striking. Even the chief, who
alone wears boots when at work, takes
them off when 1t rains; for boots cost
money (Which represents cattle) and
must not be exposed to the injurious
action of the elements
At last the term of their agreement
expires, and in a greatly excited state
they set forth upon their homeward-
bound journey, being deported sas they
were brought, at the government ex-
pense. Away they go to distant
Kaffirland-aH save Impuku, Ingwe
and Inkan who lie beneath the sand on
the hillside, victims to fever, strange
surroundings and errors in diet One
misses their merry antics and happy
faces when they have departed, though
"bossing up" Kaffirs is not altogether
a bed of roses