A FIRST ASCENT. 
241 
abashed, and passed blithely on into the very midst of 
Mandara’s circle. The chief was seated in gloomy 
silence, surrounded by his usual Swahili courtiers. 
When I saluted him cheerily he turned away his head 
and scowled. His parasites did the same, in a some¬ 
what exaggerated fashion. But I was determined to 
force my good-humour on him. Laying a brilliant 
scarlet gold-braided vestment on his lap, I shook his 
unwilling hand, and said, 44 Khabari njema! (Good 
news !). Khabari njema, Mandara. Khabari za Baloza, 
sikiliza (News of the Consul, listen).” Mandara 
grunted and turned his head half round. Then I 
seated myself on one of the low stools near him and 
began to rather freely interpret a letter I drew from 
my pocket. In this supposed communication from Sir 
John Kirk I affected to find stringent orders to leave 
Mandara’s country, and return to the coast without 
delay. 44 I don’t believe a word of it,” said the Prince 
of Mosi when I had finished, 44 not one word ! If the 
Baloza wants you to return, why does he send your 
men back loaded with goods when, if what you say is 
true, you don’t need them? No, you want to quit 
me and go to live with some other chief on the moun¬ 
tain, and that is why you have left your goods behind 
at Taveita, and your porters come here empty-handed.” 
I protested, however, that his suspicions were unjust, 
and vowed that although now obliged to leave him, I 
would some day return ; but for a little while Man¬ 
dara was obdurate. He even muttered threats about 
impeding my departure, although after uttering them 
he looked ashamed and contradicted himself. At 
length when I had half forcibly thrown the scarlet 
coat round his shoulders and laid out the other pre¬ 
sents in tempting array his set features relaxed into a 
