72 
THE KILIMA-NJAB 0 EXPEDITION. 
reality about forty miles distant, appeared to rise from 
the plain just beyond a distant clump of trees, and its 
greater peak of snow, so distinctly crater-like in form, 
together with the lesser and more jagged Kimawenzi, 
were as hard and commonplace in look as the cheap 
Italian water-colour drawings of Vesuvius, charged 
with “ body-colour,” and devoid of serial effect., 
Kilim a-njaro, now, was not imposing, and I soon 
ceased to realize its great height when it looked not 
much farther off than the farther groups of trees. As 
the day grew warm it was once more hidden behind 
layers of clouds, and I marched on towards my desti¬ 
nation somewhat disappointed. 
Por some two days since leaving the mountains of 
Taita we had been crossing a waterless tract with 
poor herbage of dusty-brown or yellow-white, and 
grey, withered trees, and real verdure had been denied 
us; but now on reaching a point within some thirty 
miles of Kilima-njaro a change of an agreeable cha¬ 
racter came over the scene . 2 Tall umbrageous trees 
cast a welcome shade over the short herbage, which 
was closely cropped like a lawn by the many herds of 
antelopes. The bushes were vividly green, and some 
of them bore tufts of bright-coloured flowers. Many 
birds frequenting the bushy trees attested the prox¬ 
imity of water—we were, indeed, close to a little 
affluent of Lake Jipe—and the feeling that we were 
now without threatened thirst added to the pleasure 
of the morning’s walk, and promised for the future 
less arduous journeyings. I was, therefore, beginning 
to relax my strict watch over the men, and knowing 
2 We were within the benign influences of the mountain, and had 
entered the area of perpetual moisture surrounding its cloud-capped 
peaks. 
