284 Wanderings in Eastern Africa. 
of them must reside upon her shores, yet to do so is 
death. However, what about this snow mountain ? 
May there not be found there a more healthy cHmate? 
If so, what an immense advantage to the country it 
may become !" 
Arriving at Zanzibar in 1863, I was fortunate 
enough to meet with the Baron von der Decken. 
That enterprising Hanoverian had twice been to 
Chaga, and had just returned from his second journey. 
He had seen KiHma Njaro, and strongly corroborated 
Mr. Rebmann s reports of its snows. At the same 
time, though he had made two attempts to ascend 
the mountain, he had not succeeded in reaching the 
snowy region, and could only add to Mr. Rebmann's 
his own ocular testimony. This indeed was sufficient 
to satisfy most minds upon the subject, but there 
were those who yet doubted ; it was thought that there 
was still some mistake, and the unsettled state of the 
matter gave additional zest to my own desire to visit 
the country. I would have proceeded thither at once, 
but for a while I had other work to do. Fevers, the 
acquisition of the languages, the multifarious engage- 
ments of mission life, and wanderings elsewhere, part 
of which have already been recounted, compelled me 
to forego travelling westw^ard till the year 1871. At 
the latter part of that year, however, I organized a 
small caravan, and accomplished a journey to Chaga, 
the story of which, with its experiences and adven- 
tures, I have now to relate. 
The difficulty of travelling in East Africa arises 
chiefly from the necessity which exists for carrying 
with you a great quantity of goods, and the manage- 
ment of a large body of more or less untamed savages. 
