Whenyouwalkthroughatownlikethis-twohundredthousandinhabitantsofwhomatleasttwentythousandownliterallynothingexcepttheragstheystandupin-whenyouseehowthepeoplelive,andstillmorehoweasilytheydie,itisalwaysdifficulttobelievethatyouarewalkingamonghumanbeings.Allcolonialempiresareinrealityfoundeduponthisfact.Thepeoplehavebrownfacesbesides,therearesomanyofthem!AretheyreallythesamefleshasyourselfDotheyevenhavenamesOraretheymerelyakindofundifferentiatedbrownstuff,aboutasindividualasbeesorcoralinsectsTheyriseoutoftheearth,theysweatandstarveforafewyears,andthentheysinkbackintothentheyaregone.Andeventhegravesthemselvessoonfadebackintothesoil.Sometimes,outforawalkasyoubreakyourwaythroughthepricklypear,younoticethatitisratherbumpyunderfoot,andonlyacertainregularityinthebumpstellsyouthatyouarewalkingoverskeletons.
2.2
Allpeoplewhoworkwiththeirhandsarepartlyinvisible,andthemoreimportanttheworktheydo,thelessvisibletheyare,Still,awhiteskinisalwaysfairlyconspicuous.InnorthernEurope,whenyouseealabourerploughingafield,youprobablygivehimasecondglance.Inahotcountry,anywheresouthofGibraltaroreastofSuez,thechancesarethatyoudontevenseehim,Ihavenoticedthisagainandagain.Inatropicallandscapeoneseyetakesineverythingexceptthehumanbeings,Ittakesinthedried-upsoil,thepricklypear,thepalmtreeandthedistantmountain,butitalwaysmissesthepeasanthoeingathispatch.Heisthesamecolourastheearth,andagreatdeallessinterestingtolookat.
2.3
2.4
Itwascuriousreally.Everywhitemantherehadthisthoughtstowedsomewhereorotherinhismind.Ihadit,sohadtheotheronlookers,sohadtheofficersontheir