368 Wanderings in Eastern Africa. 
Kilima Njaro towards Ugono, from which we gbt a 
good view of the country. In the north-west the 
lower part of KiHma Njaro was now clearly visible, 
but all the higher portions of the mountain were 
still obscured by thick, dark, leaden clouds. What 
was seen was a large mountain mass, sweeping 
round in a grand half-circle, consisting of hills rising 
in amphitheatrical gradations, till they pierce and lose 
themselves in the clouds. Ugono was now dropping 
into the east of south, but another mountain, called 
Sogonoi, on the borders of the Masai-land, stretched 
across the horizon in a direction from this point 
somewhere about south-west Hence our course lay 
round the southern extension of Kilima Njaro, and 
was necessarily circuitous. We were on the lowest 
portion of the mountain's base, just above the level of 
the plain. The ground was very irregular, being a 
succession of banks and watercourses ; now we got 
a prospect of the country around us, and now we were 
shut in on all sides. During the after noon we oc- 
casionally obtained a pretty clear view of what was to 
be seen of Chaga from our line of march. It will be 
borne in mind that it was the south-eastern portion 
of the mountain that was now exposed. The lower 
parts were, like the plains, dressed in autumnal brown. 
This, as the eye ascended, changed and deepened 
into dark green, here a wood, there a plantation, and 
there a lawn. Above all was dark forest. The 
middle portion is the inhabited land, proclaimed by * 
rising columns of smoke throughout its whole extent. 
Beginning in the east and proceeding towards the 
west, "There," saidMuinyi Mbuana, 'Ms Emsai, there 
Mamba, there Marango, there Kilema, there, where the 
