186 
TIIE KILIMA NJARO EXPEDITION 
the lower country rear the base of the mountain and 
stalking antelopes, but this was not what I wanted 
him to do. I preferred that he should go up the 
mountain and collect there. He soon began to grow 
dissatisfied and became a continual grumbler. When 
Kiongwe was preparing to go to the coast he asked 
leave to accompany him, pleading business of his own 
to settle. I thought this utterly unreasonable, and 
knew the excuse of private business was only meant to 
cover some other purpose. At any rate, I reminded 
him of his contract and held him to it. This only in¬ 
creased his sulkiness, and he began to listen to the 
suggestions of Mandara’s Swahilis, who were trying 
actively to ruin me by causing the desertion of my men. 
They persuaded Habruki that if he left me and entered 
Mandara’s service, he might become a great man. 
They pointed out how lucrative the slave-trading 
business was, and how Mandara needed a man like 
him to transact his business on the coast. Mabruki 
was won over and only sought an excuse for breaking 
with me. It was not long in coming. I found him 
one morning returning from Mandara’s town, when I 
had sent him to a particular valley to collect. He had 
not a bird or a flower to offer as an excuse. Nor did 
he try to excuse himself. When I began to scold him, 
he said quietly, tc That is enough ; I don’t care for 
this work, I have found something better to do : give 
me my food allowance and let me return to the coast.” 
Like a simpleton, I believed he intended to join 
Kiongwe, who had not long started, so I gave him goods 
to buy food for a fortnight, lent him a gun and ammu¬ 
nition, paid him the balance of his wages and let him 
go. The other collector, Atlnnani, who was his slave, 
accompanied him. Having got out of me all he could, 
