-^ 



Hostile Forces 



work /\r Kiliiiiaudjaro, seems not to be taken at its 

 proper value, although confirmed by so great an expert 

 as Professor Hans Meyer. 



A short time after my departure from Moshi I 

 experienced a night-alarm. I had spent the evening as 

 the guest of the Catholic Mission, and had been, as always, 

 most cordially and hospitably entertained. Returned to 

 camp, I had scarcely fallen asleep when I was roughly 

 awakened. ... It appeared that a great number of 

 natives had suddenly and stealthily penetrated into my 

 camp, but had instantly, on the alarm-signal being given, 

 vanished into the darkness. 



Months went by without incident, except that some 

 side-arms were stolen from my servants, whom I had 

 stationed at some days' distance from myself tor the 

 purpose of buying vegetable food — and these weapons 

 were never recovered. But when, at the end of my 

 expedition in the year 1899, I came again to Fort Moshi 

 from the Njiri Marshes, I never dreamed that I was to 

 pass suddenly from the profoundest tranquillity to a state 

 of something like war. The very night before my arrival 

 the natives had actually attempted an attack upon the 

 fort. The garrison had fired about five hundred 

 shots. 



We now spent, rifles in hand, some anxious days and 

 still more anxious nights, during which my entire company 

 of armed men was consigned to the yard of the Fort 

 and placed at the disposition of Captain Merker, who was 

 then Deputy-Commandant. He had, in the absence of 

 his chief provided with the utmost forethought for all 



VOL. II. 68 s 21 



