182 TAVETA AND MOUNTS KILIMANJARO AND MERU 



When Miriali returned as a black man, pure and simple, the 

 gristly ears of the bullock, which had been saved for him as 

 tid-bits, were handed to him, and this was pretty well all he had. 

 As for us, we got nothing at all at first, but when our host dis- 

 covered this, he shoved some meat, which had passed through 

 many fingers before his, into our mouths with his own hands. 



As Miriali had told us, Mandara, the chief of Mochi, was 

 very wroth at the way we had neglected him. Accustomed to 

 be treated by all Europeans who visited Kilimanjaro with the 

 attention and respect due to him as the most important person- 

 age in the neighbourhood, he could not get over our behaviour. 

 He had already threatened Miriali on this account several 

 times, and the young chieftain was often very uneasy about 

 his own future and about us, especially as to what might happen 

 whilst we were up on the mountain. Count Teleki did all he 

 could to reassure him, laughed at his anxiety, and told him he 

 was perfectly welcome to tell Mandara we were his allies and 

 he could come on if he liked. The Count generally made it a 

 rule not to interfere in native politics, but he felt that he ought 

 to make an exception in this case, and we were fully deter- 

 mined to put the matter right as soon as Mandara gave us the 

 slightest opening, as the peace and prosperity of all the Kili- 

 manjaro districts were really at stake in the matter. 1 The next 

 morning we set to work to try and engage guides, but for a 

 long time we could not come to any agreement, although 

 Miriali himself was present. At last even he lost patience, and 

 in a long speech urged all present to look upon us as his 

 friends and to treat us better, for, he said, showing an un- 

 expected acquaintance with books, all Europe watched what 



1 Soon after our return to Europe we heard that Mandara had taken vengeance 

 on Miriali, driving him from house and home and laying waste his country. We 

 wondered greatly that these proceedings, which checked all progress at Kilimanjaro 

 and threw fresh power and wealth into the hands of the robber, were allowed to take 

 place without opposition. 



