of the ceremony concluded, a bit of the goat was
roasted over a quickly improvised fire, and the contracting
parties partook of this flesh.
The fact that during the sacrifice the head of the
beast was pointed with such accuracy toward the
highest peak was significant. I noticed that throughout
East Africa the natives seemed to attach a certain
religious sanctity and importance to anything of
extraordinary size. In the island of Zanzibar, where
the hills are low, the natives reverence the baobab
tree, which is the largest growing upon the island,
and they consider it haunted by genii and devils.
In all portions of the country where hills are not
found, they worship some great stone or tall tree.
The natives in the neighbourhood of Kilimanjiro call
the mountain “ God’s Home,’ and direct their prayers
to the deity they suppose to occupy its snow-clad
peak. The Kikuyu, who inhabit the slopes of Mount
Kenya, have the same reverence for their mountain.
We found that the Embe, although from the topmost
range of the Jombeni Mountains Kenya was
visible, preferred to attach importance to their local
peak, rather than the great mountain which almost
overshadowed it.
Both the Wamsara and the Embe, if one may
judge from their appearance, rarely indulge in baths.
In place of ablutions with water, which there is
plentiful, they anoint their skins with as much castor
oil or other grease as they can obtain and smear
upon themselves. The hides with which they are
clothed are continued in unremitting active service
for many years, and in consequence the odour arising
from them is not pleasing. Bearing this in mind, it
can easily be imagined that both Lieutenant von
Hohnel and I hastened through the process of blood-
brotherhood with all despatch, and it was with a feel-
ing of absolute relief that we returned toward camp.
Even there we were not destined to breathe the pure
air a long time, for the hedge was soon surrounded by
hundreds of peering natives, who successfully warded
off the evening breeze. To add to this, our newfound
brothers insisted upon entering our compound,
and even endeavoured to seat themselves upon our
beds. Needless to say, from this they were gently
but firmly dissuaded. Their talk was now of trade,
and they were full of promises to supply the wants
of the entire caravan in order to prove their friendship
for us. We showed them our trading-goods,
and willingly entered into the spirit of the game;
knowing that, as soon as we had established trade
relations with these people, there would be no danger
of hostility from them. It was sunset ere the
camp was at length free from these disagreeable
visitors.
The natives of these mountains are very fond of
chewing the leaves and tender shoots of a tree here
called “Miraa.” This tree is similar to one found in
Arabia and Abyssinia, which has already been described
by botanists, and is called in Arabic, “ Kaht.”
The Arabs, Abyssinians, and Somali resident at Aden
chew only the green leaves of. this tree; but the natives
of the Jombeni range carefully strip the leaves from
the twig, and then chew only the green bark. The
juice of this plant is highly stimulating to the nervous