262 NATURAL SCIENCE. Ai'ril. 



and its Big Game" also contains notes upon other mammals obtained 

 and observed during this remarkable excursion. 



A few months after Sir Robert Harvey and his friends had 

 quitted their post at the foot of Kilima-njaro, a learned German 

 geographer, Dr, Hans Meyer, accompanied by Herr von Eberstein, 

 was engaged on an energetic attempt to climb the untrodden summit. 

 On this occasion only the ice-cap was reached, at an elevation of 

 about 18,000 feet, as it was found impossible to ascend further 

 " without the aid of the usual Alpine climbing tackle." The results 

 of this expedition were published in the work entitled " Zum 

 Schneedom Kilimandscharo " (7), and illustrated by splendid 

 photographs, which no one who wishes to form an idea of this 

 remarkable movmtain and its surroundings should omit to consult. 



Nothing daunted by his comparative failure on the first occasion, 

 Dr. Hans Meyer returned to the charge next year. In his second 

 expedition he took as his companion a well-known Austrian geo- 

 grapher, Dr. Oscar Baumann, who had had a large experience of 

 African travel on the western coast. Landing at Zanzibar in July, 1888, 

 the travellers indulged in a preparatory excursion into Usambara — a 

 high district opposite the island of Pemba, which forms the north- 

 east corner of German East Africa ; there, unfortunately, they fell 

 into the hands of the revolted Arabs, and, after serious maltreatment, 

 barely escaped with their li\'es back to Zanzibar and Europe.- Dr. 

 Meyer's pluck and energy were, however^ by no means exhausted by 

 this sad event, and a third expedition was immediately planned and 

 carried out. This time, Dr. Meyer determined to take with him an 

 experienced Alpine climber, and was fortunate in securing the com- 

 panionship of Herr Ludwig Purtscheller — a name well-known in 

 Alpine circles. The event on this occasion fully rewarded Dr. Meyer 

 for the trouble he had taken. All that had been left undone on the 

 two first expeditions was fully accomplished on the third. The great 

 crater of Kibo was discovered, the summit of the mountain at an 

 elevation of 19,720 feet was attained, and named (of course) *' Kaiser 

 Wilhelm Peak," and an accurate survey of the whole district was 

 carried out, besides which scientific collections in several branches 

 of Natural History were formed. The results of this successful 

 expedition were given to the world in 1891 in the splendid monograph 

 entitled "Across East African Glaciers" (8), of the merits of which 

 it is almost impossible to speak too highly. 



Dr. Meyer does not seem to have paid much attention to the 

 mammals of Kilima-njaro, although he made special collections of its 

 butterflies and plants. He mentions, liowever, the occurrence of 

 "The Eland" on the mountain at the extraordinary height of 15,000 

 feet. As, however, this animal was only recognised by its " footprints 

 and droppings" in the boggy ground, I should rather imagine it might 



- See Dr. Baumann's account of this perilous journey in his charming book " In 

 Deutsch-Ostafrica wahrend der Aufstandes." Vienna : 18S9. 



