112 TAVETA AND MOUNTS KILIMANJARO AND MERU 



remained standing as if rooted to the spot : it needed a second 

 shot to bring him to his knees, and we presently found him dead 

 where he had been sleeping. Meanwhile the caravan had long 

 been out of sight, so we had to leave our victims on the ground 

 and hasten forward. 



It was quite dark when we reached the camp, which, on 

 account of a storm of rain, Count Teleki had pitched earlier 

 than he had intended on the north side of the hill. The next 

 day Jumbe Kimemeta took the men a couple of hours' farther 

 march to the Sao-ana stream, whilst we remained behind to 

 hunt ; but we had no luck, and got back to camp late in the 

 afternoon dead tired, and with absolutely empty hands. 



From Sagana the route led straight to the mountain, and the 

 dry yellow steppe grass and thorny acacias were exchanged for 

 a varied flora reminding us of that of Europe. Soon after we 

 had crossed the Huna stream, which flowed rapidly along in a 

 deep bed, we came upon the first natives. Under their 

 guidance we went on, under the shade of thickly growing 

 hedges, flanked by banana-trees, till we came to Miriali's home. 

 The crowds of natives who had watched our approach parted 

 to make room for us, and then Sultan Miriali, chief of the little 

 State of Marangu, wearing a bright-red flowing toga, appeared, 

 and, offering us his right hand to shake, bid us welcome with 

 the words, 6 Yambo, Bwana.' In fluent Kiswahili, but with some 

 little hesitation, he next inquired if he should show us where to 

 camp, and led the way, followed by the whole community. We 

 halted in a meadow with soft greensward, watered by a little 

 gurgling brook about one foot wide, and surrounded by banana- 

 trees. Miriali saw how delighted we were with this charming 

 camping-ground, and, with almost Spanish politeness, he placed 

 it at Count Teleki's disposal. He struck us as being a young 

 man of a highly nervous temperament, and he now left us ; but 

 not so his followers, and we were soon surrounded by crowds 



