A CORNER OR MR. JOHNSTON'S SETTLEMENT.
"Did he get to the summit of the mountain?" one of the youths inquired.
"No," said the Doctor, "he was unable to ascend to the top, but on two occasions he reached the snow-line, at a height of 16,315 feet, which was higher than any of the natives had ever been. As the height by survey is estimated at 18,880 feet, he was within about twenty-five hundred feet of the desired point. Vegetation ends at 15,000 feet, and from that point to the snow-line the mountain consists of large boulders, broken rocks, and sand. Mr. Johnston says the ascent as far as he went is quite easy when compared with that of other great mountains of the world, but he was not properly equipped for the effort, and his men were unwilling to tempt the demons that are supposed to occupy the peak. He was bitterly disappointed at his inability to gaze into the extinct crater of Kilimanjaro, and was obliged to leave that honor for some future traveller.
"By the end of six months in the country around the great mountain he was out of funds, and, as money is needed for living in Africa quite as much as in any other part of the world, he was obliged to return to Zanzibar. On the road to the coast he encountered a band of the dreaded Masai warriors, and for a short time was in great danger of an attack. How he prevented it is best told in his own words:
"They called on two or three of our men to advance and confer with them, so Kiongwé, Ibrahim, and Bakari went. After asking various questions as to who I was, where I came from, and whither I was going, the Masai leader inquired, 'Had we any sickness?' This query aroused a happy but sadly unveracious thought in my mind. 'Tell him,' I said to Kiongwé, in Swahili, a language the Masai do not understand, 'tell him we have small-pox.' Kiongwé grasped the idea and said to the Masai captain, with well-feigned vexation, 'Yes, we have a man suffering from the white disease' (the Masai name for small-pox). 'Show him,' the leader replied, at the same time moving several yards off. I immediately dragged forward an Albino, who was a porter in my caravan—a wretched pink-and-white creature, with tow-colored hair and mottled skin. The Masai at once exclaimed, 'Oh, this is a bad disease—look! it has turned the poor man white!' Then he shouted out that he had no wish to interfere with us, nor would they take anything from our infected goods. One concession alone they asked, and this we readily granted, which was that we would not follow too closely on their footsteps lest they might get our 'wind' and catch the disease. And with this they turned around, rejoined their fellows, called up their herd of cows and donkeys, and slowly wended their way up the hilly path. In half an hour's time the last Masai had disappeared, and we saw no more of them."
"And now," remarked the Doctor, "as we have seen Mr. Johnston safely on his return from the exploration of Kilimanjaro and the ascent of that famous mountain, let us return to Mr. Thomson and his journey to Masai Land."
Under this hint Frank proceeded: