A TRIP TO TA VEIT A. 
213 
ances ruslied from their homesteads to inquire the 
cause of our departure. “ You are not going to leave 
ns, Muzungu?” they cried; “promise you will re¬ 
turn.” “ Yes, I promise,” was my reply; then they 
pressed on my acceptance fowls, goats, bananas, and 
gourds of new milk for the journey. Again, when we 
arrived at Kitimbiriu, Mandara sent a messenger with 
many “ salaams ” and congratulations, and a little 
“ kitoweo ” or “ relish ” for my breakfast, in the shape 
of two big goats. The Caga people of the vicinity all 
came to shake hands, although I had only been absent 
a week. One man was so delighted to see me (it was 
my milkman, and I daresay he had missed my custom), 
that he spat 1 repeatedly at the sun to thank the Al¬ 
mighty for my safe return. However, rather to Man¬ 
dara 5 s disappointment—for now that we were friends 
he wanted me to sit and gossip all day—I returned, 
to Taveita again on the 28th of August, as much in 
the interests of natural history as anything, because 
failing an ascent of the mountain, there was no better 
hunting-ground than the Taveitan forests, especially 
for birds. 
The pleasure of returning to this most interesting 
place was a little clouded by finding Kiongwe still 
not arrived, although he was nearly a fortnight over¬ 
due ; but knowing that nothing comes in Africa from 
useless worrjdng, I settled down to pleasant work, 
resolved to resign myself to the inevitable dilatoriness 
of a Swahili caravan. As soon as it was known that 
we had returned, many friends came with offerings of 
milk, fowls, bananas, and fish. One man, a great 
i 
1 Spitting, among these people, is a sign of respect and honour. 
The most reverent way of returning thanks to the Ruler of the 
universe is to spit in the direction of Iiis visible embodiment, the sun. 
