Ascent of Kilima Njaro, 405 
The scenery had an exhilarating effect upon the 
men, and they talked in rather grand style. Cold as 
they had felt before we started, they did not complain 
now, though we were in a much colder region. The 
exertion of ascending the mountain had kept them 
warm. Mange danced with glee. Buana," he said 
to me, this is nothing ; we shall succeed, we will take 
you up as far as you like to go ; fears to the winds." 
But Marondo turned his experienced eyes upwards 
and shook his head. Look at the rain there," he ob- 
served ; if that does not cease it will kill us all." Well, 
it was a forbidding prospect. It was very cloudy, but 
I hoped it might clear up, so we pressed forward. 
Passing through a wood composed chiefly of a species 
of broom, we came to an open spot, similar to that we 
had just left. But what was the matter } The Wachaga 
were stealing along like cats after mice ! Some one 
spoke, but was instantly hushed to silence. Coming 
to a well-beaten path, the Wachaga paused, looked 
anxiously in every direction, spoke to each other in 
whispers^ and then, beckoning us on, proceeded as 
before. Soon plunging into an immense forest all 
precaution was at an end, and I then enquired the 
meaning of this singular conduct. I was told the 
path we had crossed was a public one, running from 
the east to the west of Chaga ; that we were liable 
to fall in with the other tribes' people ; and that 
had we done so, the Moches being at variance with 
most of them, it would have been war to the death. 
The forest upon which we had now entered was a 
vast belt of the densest vegetation, which encircles 
the whole mountain, and is called by the Wachaga 
Msudu.'' Its growths are for the greater part of a 
