136 
THE KILIMA-NJAT 0 EXPEDITION. 
the chief of Mosi. Of course on my return I made 
up a quantity of the things he most coveted, especially 
a number of packets of European seeds, and sent 
them to him as an equivalent for the sheep. After 
this interview the relations between Mandara and 
myself assumed such a friendly character, that I felt 
myself able to rely entirely on his goodwill as a pro¬ 
tection against the rapacity of his followers. Con¬ 
sequently, the very next day I despatched twenty 
men to Taita for the purpose, already mentioned, of 
bringing the last instalment of goods left behind. 
When these had departed, I was now at liberty to 
turn my attention to more congenial studies. I in¬ 
stalled my two collectors in a quickly constructed 
hut, unpacked the bales of botanical paper, the cases 
of taxidermist paraphernalia, and other necessaries in 
natural history collecting, and set to work to amass 
and preserve as many specimens of the fauna and 
flora around me as I could obtain. Having given 
every man his allotted task, and being able to trust 
the general supervision of the settlement to my Indian 
servant, I was freer in my movements than I had 
been for a long time, and could ramble about alone 
all day with the certainty of finding everything going 
on well when I returned. With a light heart I was 
able to explore the beauties of my African Switzerland. 
Eirst of all, I desired to obtain a sketch of the snowy 
dome of Kibo. This, the highest summit of Kilima¬ 
njaro, was not always on view. For weeks together 
he would be swathed in clouds. But should you be 
an early riser, you would hardly fail to catch a glimpse 
of him just at sunrise, when before the cold breath of 
morning the unfolding clouds part and scatter, and 
disclose his splendid crown of virgin snow, irradiated 
