662 
THE GRAPHIC 
June 27, 1SSS5 
On the further side of the stream is a patch of level greensward 
somewhat spoilt by the buffaloes who come hither to drink and 
sport, and who have rucked up and befouled much of this little 
natural lawn. Strange sessile thistles grow here, belonging to the 
genus Cardims, also an extraordinary lobelia ( Lobelia Deckeni), 
three to four feet in height, with a teazle-like crown of silvery green 
bracts and bright blue blossoms. Other remarkable plants are the 
lovely Cynoglossun amplifolium , with rich ultramarine flowers, 
and an extraordinary arborescent plant (since named Senecio 
Johnsloni), looking somewhat like a banana in the distance, 
but in reality consisting of a tall, black, smooth trunk, 
twenty to thirty feet in height, and surmounted by a huge crown of 
broad leaves, interspersed and headed up with bunches of yellow 
blossom. This strange plant grows abundantly in the streamlet’s 
bed, and its trunk is so superficially rooted and so rotten that, in 
spite of its height and girth, I can pull it down with slight effort. 
As we ascend on the further side of the stream-valley, we come to 
some strange boulders, or smooth masses of rock, about which the 
ground becomes pappy and boggy with water ; in fact, three or four 
warm springs of a temperature ot 91 deg. Fahr. here issue from the 
ground. Mounting high above the rivulet, the scenery becomes much 
harsher, vegetation shows itself in dwarfed patches as we pass the 
altitude of 13,000 feet, and the ground is covered with boulders, 
more or less big, apparently lying in utter confusion and without any 
definite direction. These slabs of rock are singularly shaped, and 
marked like huge tortoises, being divided by lines and seams into a 
tesselated surface. They are not very difficult to climb over, and 
even seem to act as irregular stone steps upwards. In their interstices 
heaths of the size of large shrubs grow' with a certain luxuriance, and 
bright yellow Euryops flowers stud the occasional patches of bare 
earth ; while every now and then my eye alights with pleasure on 
lovely clusters of pink everlasting flowers, growing, where they 
stretched covering of the tent. Then, suddenly, a bellow of 
thunder, so aeafeningly loud that one’s ears are stunned for a 
moment, bursts from the storm right over our heads, seemingly, and 
re-echoes from all the ravines and hollows of the mountain side. 
Flash after flash of lightning reveals the whole scene in momentary 
biiliiancy, and then the few desultory drops of rain change into a 
soaking downpour. I call my two body-servants and my cook into 
the tent, which, happily, is water-tight, and they gratefully huddle 
together on the floor till the tempest ceases. 
The next morning, however, by a happy contrast the scene is fair 
and smiling. The sky is cloudless and serene, the two snow-peaks 
are in full view, and mild as the heat of the sun is at this elevation 
it is nevertheless of some service in drying the soaked garments of 
the men. All through this day succeeding the storm the men work 
unremittingly at their houses, especially thatching their roofs with 
increased care, and when another downpour takes place we observe 
with pleasure that no wet has penetrated the interior of the 
dwellings. 
The day succeeding our arrival bands of natives—our whilom foes 
—arrived from Kiboso, bringing provisions for sale, both good in 
quality and cheap in price, so that all anxiety about provisioning my 
party is at an end. I cannot but admire the enterprise which these 
people showed in carrying their wares a distance of some eight or 
nine miles to trade with one whom but a few days before they had 
considered a dangerous magician. I soon got on excellent terms 
with these Wa-Kiboso, whom in past days I had looked upon as my 
bitterest foes, and who had been in turns amazed and mystified by 
my fireworks and my theodolite. 
Now that we are friends I have many pleasant chats with them, 
and. offer to visit their country and chief, but this last proposal they 
lava spurs prevents me from continuing the ascent, though I doubt 
whether it be possible for any one to reach the summit owing to the 
want of foothold. The snow varies very much in quantity on 
KIBO 
hesitate to accept. Their Sultan has given them permission to 
trade with me, and he wishes to remain at peace with the white 
man, but as to seeing him—“ No, he is much too undoubted a 
sorcerer ! ” The chief of Kiboso is an old man, and it would be 
easy to bewitch him. So, on the whole, it would be better for both 
parties that we should remain apart, I do not insist, as I only care 
flow to collect in the chilly regions near the snow, and wish for no 
more native complications after my delays and difficulties in Moshi 
and Marang’u. Every day during my stay at this high elevation, 
the Wa-Kiboso come to trade, bringing bleating goats, magnificent 
clusters of ripening bananas, sweet potatoes, honey, and 
tobacco; and, moreover, as soon as they are made aware of my 
wishes, they capture animals for my collections, and will bring 
me squeaking, wriggling hyraxes, tied securely to forked sticks. 
Unfortunately, the bruise which my kneecap has sustained forces 
me to confine my rambles for the first few days after my arrival to 
the immediate vicinity of my new settlement, though I have plenty 
to do in collecting specimens of the very interestingyiW and fauna, 
which surround us. The first lengthy excursion I make is to the 
base of Kimawenzi, the lesser of the two peaks. The terrible 
hurricane of wind, however, that rages round this jagged series of 
TREEJFERN 
Kimawenzi. Sometimes the whole peak will be covered down to 
the parent ridge, with only the precipitous rocks peeping blackly 
through the mantle of white. At other periods the snow will be 
reduced to an insignificant patch, and the reddish sand 
which fills the crevices and glissades between the lava rocks 
will be left exposed to view. This change from 
an almost complete snowcap to nearly no snow at 
all may be effected in twelve hours. My chief idea, 
naturally, is to attempt the ascent of the great peak 
of Kibo, which marks not only the apex of the 
Kilima-njaro mountain-mass, but is also the highest 
of all known African mountains, reaching, as far 
as I can calculate, to 18,800 feet above the sea 
level. To make a successful ascent it will be 
necessary, owing to the time occupied on the 
journey, to pass a night at some point half way. 
Accordingly, I cannot go alone, but must induce a 
few followers to accompany me to carry my neces¬ 
sary impedimenta. My Indian servant, Virapari, 
of course volunteers, but I have to leave him 
behind, as he is not only disabled with severe 
ulcers on the legs, but I am afraid to quit the 
settlement without putting some responsible person 
in charge. So I select three of my followers who 
look agile and strong, and providing each man 
with a warm blanket, and loading them with my 
own coverings, with food, and with implements for 
collecting and observing, I wait until the morning mists 
have somewhat cleared, and then turn my face to that quarter 
of the sky where the heavy concentration of cloud masses 
indicates the presence of the great Kibo. Starting at nine, 
I walk upwards, with few stoppages, until 1.30. At first we 
cross grassy undulating hillocks, the road being fairly easy. 
Then we enter a heathy tract, scorched and burnt with recent 
bush fires, but higher up, where the blaze has not reached, 
the vegetation is fairly abundant and green. Small pink irises stud 
the ground in numbers, an occasional gladiolus of a vivid crimson 
gleams out brightly from the tufted grass. About 12,600 feet we 
strike a pretty little 
stream, flowing 
S.SAV., and 
lower down 
carving its way 
through a tremendous ravine, 
the sides of which are clothed 
with thick 
vege- 
GREAT-BILLED RAVENS 
lation, and gaily lit up with the brilliant red leaf-shoots of the Protea 
(P. abyssinica ) shrub. At the place where we cross the stream the 
banks are shelving, ahd above the little ford the water falls in pretty 
cascades through a rift in the higher ridge of rock. About this spot 
the surrounding scenery has lost much of its accustomed asperity. 
do grow, 
so thickly that 
they present a 
blushing sheet 
of rosy 
bloom. 
About 
13,700 feet I see the last resident bird, a 
kind of stonechat apparently. After this, 
w with the exception of the great-billed ravens, which 
KIMAWENZI are continually waving and circling round our 
heads, as if we are likely to become carrion sooner 
or later, there are no other living creatures in sight, 
though we continually encounter the footprints of buffalo and 
antelope. On reaching a height a little above 14,000 feet, I 
stop again to boil the thermometer and refresh myself with 
a little lunch. Throughout this ascent, which is easy, I 
suffer absolutely nothing from want of breath or mountain sick¬ 
ness, although my three Zanzibaris lay behind panting and 
exhausted, and complain much of their lungs and head. More¬ 
over, roaring gusts of wind breaking the silence of the mountain 
makes them look round with ashy countenances, convinced that the 
Spirit of Kilima-njaro, in fact Njaro himself, the frost demon, is upon 
them, coming in propria persona to chastise our presumption. I 
often dread that their panic will overcome them, and that they will 
turn and flee, casting away my collecting things, instruments, and 
provisions. About this time too we occasionally hear distant 
rumblings of thunder echoing among unseen cliffs and valleys ; and 
though these weird sounds may only be referable to that cause, still 
I confess that to a negro’s imagination they do resemble somewhat 
the rising murmurs of an angry spirit. However, I resolve hot 
to try their powers of endurance much longer; so, with due 
directions for making fires and constructing a rough shelter for 
the night, I hasten to continue my ascent while the weather will 
rermit. 
