The Taita Plains and Lake Jipe. 351 
worth of cloths and beads, and as it was not very 
much, we gave it, and were admitted. 
We now found ourselves in a cleared space which 
had been a plantation of Indian corn. It was sur- 
rounded by bananas, and beyond these were forest 
trees. We had some distance to go yet, however, to 
the camping-place, and the sun was fast westering, 
so that we had no time to lose. But the walk that 
remained was, despite our weariness, a most delight- 
ful one. After the desert life of the past fifteen days 
we seemed suddenly to have been introduced to a 
perfect Eden. Everything here was green and beau- 
tiful. The way led through large plantations of 
bananas and plantains, alternating with cultivated 
plots of masombo (a kind of potato), beans, peas, 
wimbe (pannicum), etc. ; while here and there were 
verdant and richly foliaged woods, amongst which 
monkeys of various kinds danced and chattered with 
glee, or sat in composure, watching the strange pro- 
cession which had intruded itself upon their retreats. 
The plantations were very extensive and most 
luxuriant. The plantains were too close together to 
admit of complete development, but they rose to a 
height of from fifteen to twenty feet. Their broad 
ample leaves formed a covering impenetrable to the 
rays of the sun, so that the wider paths which 
ran through them were delightful avenues of the 
coolest shade. Now and then the path skirted a fine 
stream, some twelve paces in width and two or three 
feet deep, running in a strong current, as I afterwards 
learned, from Kilima Njaro to the lake Jipe. It is 
called Mfuro by the people of Taveta, but is better 
known to geography as the Lumi. It comes down 
