"So You Want To Go Safari?"

With the nascent popularity of Darkest Africa as both a wargaming and role playing environment, there is a growing wealth of background information for the budding bush beater. Notably lacking so far have been more particular particulars about the logistics of safari. Besides, within the superb Foundry figures line, there are some 16 different poses of Porters/Bearers who cry out for proper use in play beyond set dressing. Well, for those whose ambitions run to penetrating the heart of darkness while feeding the leeches with the same spirit of giving, here is grist for your path breaking mill.

Reproduced below (with some further explanation) is an item first encountered by your Editor some 20 years ago. The remarkable "List Of Personal Kit Taken By Speke And Grant From England In 1859" (on their partially successful attempt to nail the source of the Nile) appeared in J.A. Grant's A Walk Across Africa, published in 1864. It is a wealth of information about what might be considered "necessary" to most anyone trekking up country.

Speke and Grant were, after all, actual explorers and not intent on busting slavers or otherwise shooting their way across East and Central Africa. Consequently, their map making and other geographer's tools are not representative of what others might have taken. However, the immediate camp necessities and their weapons would apply to all but the lightest traveling parties. There is also no specific mention of daily food for the explorers, much less for their considerable train of Porters. While your Editor claims no special expertise in this matter, it seems likely that very little if any food was taken along at all. While there was a Goat-herd hired (see the roster, below) who presumably drove some number of goats along for meat, the expectation would have been eventually to forage, hunt, and trade for food on the march. In practice, of course, it was not surpassing that sooner-or-later everyone went hungry, with consequent impact on march rates and overall health.

Perhaps of special interest is the contents of their Medicine Chest. Indicated as weighing 30 pounds, the amount was woefully inadequate to their actual needs and Grant eventually had to be carried in a litter due to his many fevers and illnesses. Speke had been over much the same ground with Burton only a few years before, and one should think would know better, yet he didn't bring much if any more medicine than the first time. To our late 20th Century (or VERY early 21st Century) sensibilities, it would seem they were rather worse than cavalier about their health. The reasons for this are several, not actually germane, and, in any case, would still not be persuasive to us today. The reader is simply reminded that virtually nothing was known of tropical diseases and germ theory was still over 10 years in the future. Suffice to say that NO party should ever have "enough" medicine (at least of the types listed below) to avoid the inevitable delays--and deaths--due to fevers.

Finally, the rosters of Askaris, Porters, Valets, and others who were hired on follows, along with some interesting statistics. Gamers may wish to take advantage of the selection of authentic names thus provided for characters as well. Many are Arabic, strongly suggesting the Islamic faith of these men. Indeed, as the roster numbers each man--and his pay--in some descending scale, favoritism is evident towards these men. One inference might be that some Porters were expected to carry more critical or valuable loads than others, and were chosen and paid accordingly based on their religion--and perhaps race--as much as anything else. The remaining names are rich with echoes of The Interior and the many tribes they may have represented. Most of these seem to have held more menial jobs and were paid dramatically less. More "analysis" of the rosters and some possible gaming applications will follow at the end.

Now, let's see what was in those boxes, bales, and bundles perched on the heads, backs, and shoulders of those poor, faceless souls the Tarzan movies always called "The Boys" or just "The Bearers."

Of special interest is the presence of ten members of the famous Cape Mounted Rifles who seem to be a long way from Johannesburg. Please notice the Dutch and English influence in these Hottentot soldiers' names.

Attrition

Desertion
Of all the headaches Speke and Grant must have faced as "managers" of their expedition, the worst must have been the catastrophic desertion rate. Fifty-nine deserters constituted a rate of 55% of the enrolled force, a number which also represented 64% of all men who did not reach Egypt at all.

The table of men "Hired In The Interior" speaks for itself in that there must have been a fairly constant need to entice men to join to partly, at least, make up for the losses. Of the 66 original Porters hired, 44, or 66%, would desert. Exactly half as many deserters, 22, would be "Hired in the interior" over time to fill the ranks, but clearly at a rate unequal to the loss. Rather like bailing in reverse, Speke and Grant were bringing men into the boat at only half the rate they were losing them.

While the risk of desertion must have been fairly constant, there were clearly major "Desertion Events" from time to time, strictly on average about every three months. In order of size, the worst event was at Nyoro when fully 27 Porters evidently mutinied. These same fellows made off with 21 of the 24 total number of guns stolen by deserters during the entire expedition. The second event was at Uzaramo where 13 men made off, but only one with a gun. The next biggest loss is located only as "The coast." As the Expedition started out of Zanzibar, on the coast, these ten deserters must have fled early, perhaps, again, at once. Why they went over the hill so early on safari is not suggested by the rolls, but it seems at least possible they were ne'er-do-wells who joined up for the enlistment bounty, so to speak, then took "French Leave" while still close enough to home to be able to enjoy it. These deserters represented 17% of the total desertions, and 13% of the original Porters and camp staff hired. After the "Coastal deserters", there are no further major events, the rest going off singly, in twos, and one group of three (at Ugogo). Along with the last 9 deserters, two more guns were stolen, bringing the Expedition total to 24.

Of those 30 men paid the princely sum of $25, 17 deserted, or 56%. Of those 58 others hired at $7 a man at Zanzibar, or hired on later, 42 deserted, or fully 72%. As the vast majority of those Porters paid the "minimum wage" have names suggesting Native African origins, and those paid the much higher wages have names predominantly Arabic, there would appear to have been a clear "class consciousness" at work here. The better paid were less likely to desert than those at the lower end of the wage pool, though it must be said that when it came down to it, neither group was exactly Napoleon's Old Guard.

Finally, there may be another element of class concern in all this. That is, all deserters were Porters. None of the Valets and Under-valets, the Cook, or "Pot Boy" deserted and, in fact, these constitute by far the largest laboring class to make it to pay off in Egypt. Whether this reflects men of better character well chosen for higher positions, or that men given more responsibility rise to it, is not apparent. It may be just as important that all these men would have been in closest proximity to their employers and likely to interact with them on a more personal basis.

Miscellaneous Causes
As can be seen, there were other means of attrition as well. In order of frequency, these include being sent back (6), discharged (6), left behind (4, sick or otherwise), dying (2), and murder (2).

In the first instance, it is not clear why these men were sent back, but they constitute 5% of the total. Of those discharged, 4 were the personal servants of the Cafila Bashi, Said bin Salem, who followed him after becoming sick enough to be released from rolls at Kazeh. In addition to another man discharged at M'gunda Mkhali, these six constitute another 5% of the whole. Those left behind represented some 4%, those dying for unspecified reasons, 2%, and those murdered the same. Altogether, Speke and Grant lost so 18% of their force due to a variety of causes, but these numbers are exaggerated somewhat by the Cafila Bashi's servants following their Master when not themselves victims of misfortune.

It should be noted in connection with the mass desertion at Nyoro that 3 of those sent back left at the same place, perhaps in the care of the deserters and one of them was Baraka, the "Commander-in-Chief" (presumably of the Porters and camp staff).

One is struck by the rather small number of deaths along the way, though this might possibly reflect the fact that the indigenous peoples would tend to be safer from the local fevers and diseases than the Europeans. (Grant was bed ridden or carried in a litter much of the time.)

Finally, the detachment of Cape Mounted Rifles suffered only one death, no desertions, and were sent back in separate incidents. With the death of Private Peters in Usagara, four of his mates under their Trumpeter were sent back. At Mininga, the rest, it seems, under their Corporal, returned. Seeming to operate in squads under a non-com, the Hottentots' record suggests disciplined and reliable soldiers, though the exact reasons for their being sent back are not explained.

Gaming Applications

Gamers interested in trying their hand at "Darkest Africa" are likely well aware of the remarkably extensive line of figures for the subject produced by The Foundry. Castings available include an excellent range of generic Porters in some dozen or more different poses carrying a variety of loads, presenting a fine opportunity to build more drama into scenarios.

Depending on the number of Bearer figures to hand, this author encourages gluing identification markers on the bottom of each figure's base. I printed from my computer small numbered squares (to differentiate the figures) printed with what the fellow is carrying. Thus, most bases indicate the figure's load is unspecified "Supplies", while a few say "Tentage", "Food", and "Guns/Ammo." The proportion of load types should approximate what the expedition/party in question would need. For example, a party of ivory hunters would probably carry more "Ammo" than a mapping expedition, which would itself carry more "Books." Again, depending on the nature of the expedition, there may be other specific loads, such as "Maps", "Navigation Aids", "Observation Gear", "Clothing", "Pots/Pans" (generally the cooking supplies), "Tools", etc.

Incidentally, for my own games, I have also designated a few figures carrying "Hongo." This was the tax/tribute/gifts/extortion almost universally demanded of expeditions are they crossed from one tribal boundary to another. Some expeditions brought along the traditional "beads and trinkets" for the purpose, but not a few had to--almost literally--give the shirts off their backs to be allowed to pass unmolested. Sometimes, it was collected daily while a party remained at a village or in camp for prolonged periods of rest and recovery. Hongo could be most anything that caught the local chief's eye and could as easily be a sextant as a gold coin. Scenarists are encouraged to keep up this constant drain on equipment and resources.

As a case in point, when Speke met King Mutesa, his first round of gifts included several firearms with ammunition, one of the telescopes, a gold watch, an iron chair, forks, spoons, knives, and some beads and silk cloth. As these sorts of things would be delivered up as hongo, the diminishing number of Porters might not have been such a loss!

The primary advantage of knowing what is being carried by whom comes in the miniature actions. If the party should be making a run for cover after missing, say, today's hongo, it could certainly be interesting if the Porter carrying the "Ammo" should be brought down, or the fellow with the "Medicine" got potted. Who's going out to drag the critical load in under fire? The best part: there is a tendency for Player's to look upon Porters with an all too authentic (if not actually true) attitude of "Plenty more where HE came from." Add to that the load ID's are out of sight, and it's not likely Players will know which Bearer has the bullets--at least, not until he's missed!

Applying Attrition And Event Cards
Desertion Events should be periodic and variable, ranging from only 1, 2, or 3 at a time but frequently en masse. However, Porters and other working members of a safari are not necessarily identical in their likelihood to desert but may be influenced by their race/religion and the degree of responsibility and interaction with their European employers.

Perhaps somewhere between 10% and 30% of an expedition might be lost to miscellaneous causes which could include causes not listed above (wild animals, river crossings, storms, etc.), though it would be a matter of taste whether or not to take people out for each and every reason possible.