A SECOND ASCENT. 
259 
CHAPTER XIII. 
A SECOND ASCENT. 
After a most disturbed night, owing to the howling 
of the natives, who were celebrating their chiefs 
return by vigorous dancing, I set to work early to 
pack and prepare for my second ascent of the moun¬ 
tain. It was very hot that morning, and what with 
the fatigue and worry of distributing the loads and 
serving out “ posho ” (food allowance), I felt quite 
knocked up. The Sultan made many difficulties 
about furnishing me with guides, but as I showed 
resolutely that I intended to go either with or without 
them, he gave in, and sent me four men, clamorous 
ravens that they were. These latter shrieked and 
disputed about the amount of cloth due to them, and 
at length I abruptly turned two away. About half¬ 
past one we started, and left the precincts of the 
Sultan’s “ court ” with little regret. After crossing 
one fine river and walking through a smiling and 
fertile country, we began to ascend some thousand 
feet above the level of Maranu, and passed along 
intricate lanes of dracoena and by banana groves 
flourishing at a height of about 5500 feet. After a 
further ascent of a few hundred feet, cultivation came 
to an end, and we entered a heathy district, with 
pleasant grassy knolls and many streams of running 
s 2 
