152 TAVETA AND MOUNTS KILIMANJARO AND MERU 



native camp. The warriors had never dreamt of being taken 

 at their word in such a manner, and now entreated the Count 

 to remain, as they did not know what would happen at Arusha- 

 wa-ju when it was found that they had driven the visitors 

 away. The Count relented, and of his own free will promised 

 them a present when his goods arrived. So peace was once 

 more restored. 



As already stated, we had to give up our visit to Arusha on 

 account of running short of goods. We regretted this the less 

 as we were able to buy pack-animals on Mount Meru, the Wa- 

 meru selling us some, whilst the people of Arusha brought us 

 others. This led to our remaining longer than we had intended 

 on Mount Meru, and we spent the whole of the first week in 

 May there. We were, of course, much stronger now we were 

 all together, but still we regretted the delay, as the natives 

 were always trying to pick a quarrel with us, the Wakwafi 

 putting the Warner u up to fresh aggressions and extortions. 

 We had, however, only to show our teeth to bring them to 

 reason, but it was a disagreeable state of things. We had 

 often been told by traders that there are but two evil-disposed 

 tribes in east equatorial Africa : the Wakikuyu and the Wa- 

 kwafi of Arusha-wa-ju, or Great Arusha ; and we had every 

 reason to endorse their opinion with regard to the latter. 

 The character of the Wameru themselves is, however, any- 

 thing but perfect. They are Wajagga, and, like all mountain- 

 eers, active, brave, and independent. Hitherto they had had 

 to deal with ivory-traders or slave-dealers only, and they tried 

 to overawe us, as they did them, with threats. We now had 

 experiences very similar to those of Baron von der Decken on 

 Kilimanjaro twenty-five years previously. The Wameru, or 

 dwellers on Mount Meru, number some 1,000, and are an inde- 

 pendent community, having, however, certain relations with the 

 W'akwafi of Arusha-wa-ju. Their settlements are at a height 



