164 
THE KILIMA NJARO EXPEDITION 
CHAPTER VIII. 
66 TROUBLOUS TIMES.” 
Hitherto I had lived like Robiuson Crusoe, in happy 
ignorance of savage and hostile neighbours. The only 
possible things of harm that I could have anticipated 
in my lonely rambles would have been a crafty leopard, 
pouncing on me from an overhanging bough, or the sud¬ 
den onrush of a solitary buffalo. But now I was metapho¬ 
rically and actually to see the footprints of my human 
foes imprinted in my favourite haunts. Whereas before 
my rambles on the mountains had been merely bounded 
by the short leisure time at my disposal, they were now 
to be circumscribed by the ring of warlike enemies that 
surrounded us. I have already explained to you the 
reason I selected Mandara’s kingdom as my base of 
operations on Kilima-njaro. It was usually supposed, 
before my journey took place, that he was the para¬ 
mount ruler of the mountain states, and it was thought 
that if I placed myself under Mandara’s protection I 
might range free and undisturbed over the whole of 
this African Switzerland. In this, however, a great 
mistake was made, because Mandara ruled over a 
relatively small tract of land, and only up to 6000 
feet in altitude. He did not command the shortest 
or any route to the higher regions near the 
snow-peaks; and being at constant war with his 
