216 THROUGH MAS AIL AND TO THE BORDERS OF KIKUYU 



companion. Twice it seemed about to fall and I did not think 

 a second shot would be necessary, but it got away with un- 

 diminished speed, and, though we followed it for some 

 distance, we lost it. 



The second day we only brought down a little game, in- 

 cluding a small female gazelle, without horns, and of a light 

 bay colour. We could not make out to what species she 

 belonged ; we only knew that she gave us excellent steaks. 

 We never met with a similar specimen. 



On the third morning our men arrived with the loads we 

 had left at our Eombo camp. With them came six natives of 

 Marangu, sent to us by Miriali, with the rest of our copper 

 mikufu. They also brought a letter from Dr. Meyer and 

 Count von Eberstein, in which those two travellers told us 

 something of their partial ascent of Kibo. 1 



The endless delays caused by the difficulty of getting all 

 our loads forward at once suggested to us the idea of turning 

 our cattle to account as pack-animals. We had several strong 

 young bulls amongst them, but all our efforts to train them to 

 carry loads by putting empty saddles on their backs were 

 fruitless, for they simply exhausted themselves in the struggle 

 to get rid of the unusual incubus. 



Useri was the last place from which flight was possible to 

 our porters, for they would not dare to go from the encamp- 

 ment at Kimangelia, on the threshold of Masailand. As 

 suggested by Jumbe Kimemeta, therefore, we secretly placed 

 a strong body of guards a little distance from our camp, but it 

 was not needed, for no one tried to escape in the night. 



Glad to be quit at last of a constant anxiety, we started 

 again on the 22nd. The path now led in a north-westerly 



1 Later, Dr. Meyer, accompanied by Herr Purtscheller, reached the summit of 

 Kibo (19,700 feet high), made several attempts to ascend Kimawenzi, but were finally 

 compelled to turn back at a height of 16,140 feet. — Trans. 



