404 Wanderings in Eastern Africa, 
enough to make the passage a difficult operation to 
foes, particularly if defended by a few brave men. 
They are the work of former generations, and are 
being neglected in these days. Mandara pretends to 
scorn such defences, and those on the lower frontier 
of Moche are in very bad condition, and in some 
places have got filled up ; hence we did not cross 
one when we entered the place. 
Beyond the border we entered an uninhabited belt 
of close jungle, where we were completely shut in 
from everything. Onward and upward we pushed 
our way through this jungle for an hour and a half, 
and then emerged upon the top of a grass-covered 
hill, whence we obtained a splendid view. The whole 
of the country, east, south, and west, lay outspread 
before us. Away out on the distant plain Taveta 
was seen, beyond which were the Ugono mounts 
and the lake Jipe ; to the right of these were Kahe, 
the mount Sogonoi, and a still higher mountain 
behind that ; in the west was the mount Meru, and 
nearly the whole of south-western Chaga was in view. 
Kirua, Moche, Sa, Uru, Lambongo, and Shira, the 
rising smoke enabled us to make out with accuracy» 
If I had not gone a step farther I should not have 
regretted having taken some pains to secure to myself 
the opportunity of ascending the mountain. Already 
its wonders began to dawn upon me as they could 
not have done from below. Impressions were made 
upon my mind which will never be effaced. The 
view gave me a knowledge of the country such as 
I could not have obtained in any other way. It 
impressed itself upon my brain in an instant, and I 
can see it all now as plainly as I saw it then. 
