154 
THE KILIMA NJARO EXPEDITION 
loranthus. This palm is the only member of the order 
I have ever found growing on the slopes of Kilima¬ 
njaro. In the plains below there are several others, 
the Hyphoene thebaic a , or branching palm; the 
“Mwale” (Eaphia vinifera ), and the Borassus fla- 
belliformis , but I have never seen any of these on the 
mountain. 
Having worked industriously at my sketch, and 
shot three sun-birds which were hovering round the 
teazle-like flowers of a labiate plant in my vicinity, I 
now begin to think of returning homeward, for lunch¬ 
time is approaching, and, besides, the monarch of 
mountains has begun to wearv of his condescension: 
lie thinks I have stared at him enough, and he is 
wreathing light fleecy clouds round his august features 
as a signal that the interview is at an end. So I 
gather up my sketching materials, pop the sun-birds 
into a roll of wadding in my carnassiere , and stroll 
homeward through the red lanes bordered with dra- 
coenas, aloes, strychnia, and bramble, the latter covered 
with delicious blackberries, and the strychnia, which 
is semi-cultivated by the natives, with tiny yellow 
fruit exactly resembling miniature oranges, though 
scarcely larger than big peas. These are good to the 
taste, and, according to the natives, wholesome to eat, 
though in some way I connect them with ideas of 
poisons, and never largely indulge in their consump¬ 
tion. As I near my settlement I hear a great clamour 
of tongues, and find a market is going on in the 
vicinity of the Zanzibaris’ quarters. About thirty 
Wa-caga are there busy chaffering their goods for 
cloth and blue beads. The men are all naked, except¬ 
ing for a tiny cloak or mantle of dressed fur round 
their shoulders. The women are principally clothed 
