240 
THE KILIMA NJARO EXPEDITION 
quently it behoved me to act discreetly so that I might 
carry away all my property from Kitimbiriu without 
provoking any inimical action on his part. Probably 
he would not actively intervene to prevent my depar¬ 
ture, or to rob me of my goods ; but he had only to 
convey a hint to the Masai in the plains below, and 
my caravan would have little chance of ever reaching 
Taveita intact. To Taveita, as a neutral ground, I 
determined to go before again attempting the ascent of 
j 
Kilima-njaro from another point in Caga. Accordingly 
I had directed that the porters should leave their new 
loads there before proceeding to Mosi, so that they 
might come nearly empty-handed, and be ready to 
transport my goods from Kitimbiriu. 
Abdallah had carried out my secret orders very 
well. Kiongwe stayed behind at Taveita with the 
sick and halting, and watched over the new supplies 
which were there stowed away, while Abdallah and 
Kadu came on to me with thirty porters, and carried 
nothing but the bag of letters and some selected pre¬ 
sents for Mandara. 
The morning after the arrival of my reinforcements 
I went to Mandara’s court to announce ceremoniously 
the safe coming of my long-looked-for men, and to 
read to him some letters I had received from Sir John 
Kirk. Dressed in my best clothes, and accompanied 
by several followers gaily decked, and bearing presents 
—for I had fortunately received some gaudy uniforms 
and other gifts for Mandara from Zanzibar—I made my 
way to his little square of beehive huts, wherein he 
passes the hours of daylight. As I crossed the 
village-green the groups of soldiers there stationed 
preserved a sullen demeanour, evidently reflected from 
the present disposition of their chief. But I was not 
