142 TAVETA AND MOUNTS KILIMANJARO AND MEKU 



explorations. Our gifts gave great delight, and this was in- 

 creased later when we showed off our skill in shooting, and 

 produced some matches, which we struck on the lids of the 

 boxes or on the blades of our visitors' spears. 



The next day it poured as usual, but the natives came into 

 camp early bringing food, and a little later came the Meru 

 chief, Matunda, with a large following. He differed but little 

 in appearance from the other Wameru, but he had a pleasing, 

 thoughtful, and reserved expression of face. Matunda bore 

 us compan}^ for several hours, but all the talk was about the 

 amount of the present he was to receive. He himself did not 

 seem to be covetous, but, as in the case of Sedenga, his people 

 kept urging him to ask for m.ore and more. At last all his 

 requests were granted, and he was profuse in his promises of 

 friendship. We might do just as we pleased on the mountain — 

 hunt as many elephants as we liked, climb to the top of Meru, 

 &c. — but we had better camp nearer him, so that he could more 

 easily meet our wishes. Count Teleki promised to avail him- 

 self of his kind invitation the following afternoon, and Matunda 

 returned home, leaving two of his men behind to act as guides. 



We decided to take very little with us, and our preparations 

 were very soon made. Thirty men were to accompany us, the 

 Somal guard, who were still suffering from dysentery, and 

 Jumbe Kimemeta, being left behind in charge of the rest of the 

 caravan. We took nothing with us for bartering, as we only 

 meant to be away two or three days, and our men were 

 provided for for that time. 



We started at half-past one in the afternoon, crossed the 

 brook near the camp, and skirted along the primeval forest, 

 which the Wameru, like the Wataveta, leave untouched as a 

 protection to their settlements. Through dense vegetation, in- 

 cluding many fine ferns, we slowly climbed the slope for about 

 an hour, when we were suddenly intercepted by some fifteen or 



