184 T A VET A AND MOUNTS KILIMANJARO AND MERIT 



were taken out through a slit made between the fore-legs, the 

 blood was drunk warm, and the intestines and entrails were 

 eaten raw. The body was cut up, the pieces were stuck on 

 wooden sticks and toasted at the open fire, or simply smoked, 

 the tid-bits being' given to Miriali who cut thin slices off them, 

 and with an expression of affectionate benevolence pushed them 

 into our mouths. The natives squatted round like a pack of 

 hounds watching the meat in Miriali's hand, as the remains 

 were flung to them when the best parts had been cut off, and 

 then there was always a fight over them. The toasted meat, 

 though still bleeding, and eaten without salt, did not taste bad, 

 and we did good execution on it, so that when the roasted 

 entrails were served we told Miriali we really had had more 

 than enough. 



We often noticed that with natives accustomed to a vege- 

 table diet meat had much the same effect as drink, only of 

 course in a considerably minor degree, and in this case there 

 was soon greatly increased cheerfulness. 



After the feast we enjoyed for a time the beautiful view at our 

 feet, no less than seven districts — Mamba, Samanga. Marangu, 

 Kilema, Kirua, Mochi, and Tela — being spread out beneath us. 

 Then we took leave of Miriali and went to our camp, which was 

 situated on a grassy slope at a height of about 5,460 feet. On 

 one side was a banana plantation and on the other were a few 

 huts. Natives poured in and stopped till quite late at night in 

 spite of the rain which had now set in. Many things, notably 

 the dress of the natives, indicated that we were now beyond the 

 usual beat of caravans. Stuffs were scarce, and full-grown girls 

 went about in the garb of Paradise, with nothing more on than 

 a little fringe of beads suspended from the waist. We noted 

 soon, too, that we were in a small self-governed community away 

 from the jurisdiction of law courts, as the following incident, 

 which occurred that same evening, will show. Though the ruler 



