THE tract of country the exploration of which will form the subject–matter of this book, may be described as occupying a diagonal stripe in the area enclosed between 5� S. Lat. and 1� N. Lat. and the meridian of 33� and 39� E. longitude.

The commencement of the exploration of this region, forms the first chapter in the history of East Central African discovery. It was at Melind� that Vasco di Gama first landed after rounding the Cape; and on the reefs of Mombasa at a later date, the treachery of his pilot brought him to the verge of shipwreck.

For several centuries, however, nothing was done to lift the veil of the unknown by exploration, though of course some vague ideas of the geography of the interior were formed from the crude native accounts which reached the coast. Thus, for instance, in a Portuguese work of 1530, we find it stated that "West of this port (Mombasa) stands the Mount Olympus of Ethiopia, which is exceeding high, and beyond it are the Mountains of the Moon, in which are the sources of the Nile." The Mount Olympus here mentioned we may suppose to mean Kilimanjaro, though it would be difficult to say what are the mountains described as those; of the Moon for, like the sources of the Nile, they have been somewhat coy; and hard to find.

From the visit of Vasco di Gaina till 1842, it may safely be said that little of any interest was added to our knowledge of this part of the interior. On that date, however, a new era of discovery commenced. The Rev. Dr. Krapf, driven from his Mission to the Gallas of Abyssinia, was commissioned to visit East Africa, and ascertain if there was a "door"; open for the introduction of Christianity. He found, as he imagined, such a place at Mombasa. There accordingly lie established himself, the apostle of Christianity in East Africa, and the pioneer of geographical exploration.

In the following year,; "weaponed only with an umbrella," and accompanied by no more than nine men, Rebmann started on a more extended journey, which was destined to arouse the geographers of Europe from their indifference and to supply them with a bone of keen contention. Pushing through Teita, he traversed the desert beyond, and reached Chaga–the cultivated country round the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro. For the first time the eternal snows of the mountains of East Africa were seen, though for years few believed in their existence. The remarkable nature of this journey will be understood when it is mentioned that in a recent natural history expedition to the same place it has been thought necessary to take about 140 men.

In the latter part of the same year we find Rebmann once more on the road to Chaga, apparently now thoroughly smitten with the fever of African travel. This time his caravan is composed of fifteen porters. It would seem, moreover, that he has now lost faith in the all–sufficiency of his umbrella, and has concluded that a measure of prudence is not inconsistent with an implicit trust in Providence, for we read that his men were armed with guns and bows and arrows. On this occasion he crossed the greater part of the southern aspect of Kilimanjaro, and reached Macham�, then the largest and most important of the small Chaga states.

Grown ambitious by the success of these unique and remarkable journeys, Rebmann determined on an expedition of greater magnitude. Having heard of a country called U–nyamwesi, and of some enormous lake in the same region, he selected it as a new field of exploration. For this purpose he formed a caravan of thirty men, and started on the 6^th of April, 1849. His projected route was via Kilimanjaro; U–nyamwesi being thought to lie about west from that mountain.

The; Mombasa Mission, "however, did not remain idle in the opening up of new fields of missionary enterprise. The mantle of Rebmann fell on Krapf, who, doubtless fired by his colleague’s interesting discoveries, determined to enter the lists. In 1849 Krapf started for U–kambani. His object was to open up a new country to the influence of Christianity, to ascertain if a route existed to U–nyamwesi, to discover the, sources of the Nile, and, as lie puts it, to reach; those still surviving Christian remnants at the Equator of whom I had heard in Shoa."

Taking a somewhat more northerly route than that of Rebmann, Krapf traversed Teita, touching at the mountains Maungu, and Ndara, also the northern end of the Bura Range. Then, turning more to the north, lie crossed the Tzavo River, which flows, to the Sabaki, traversed Kikumbuliu, the southern district of U–kambani, and reached Kitui, then reigned over by a chief named Kivoi.

This remarkable and daring journey was undertaken with only eleven men; and as the result of it, Krapf was able fully to confirm Rebmann’s description of the snow–clad summit of Kilimanjaro, though with Mr. Cooley it remained only "a most delightful mental recognition, not supported by the evidence of the senses."

Krapf, however, made another discovery of no less interest. On leaving Kivoi’s village on his return journey, he descried the summit of a second snow–clad mountain named by the Wa–kamba Kenia. He describes it as, "six days’ journey from Kivoi’s, situated north–west of Kilimanjaro, and appearing as two large horns or pillars"!

Two years later, in 1851, we find Krapf once more on the way to U–kambani, this time with the express purpose of founding a mission–station in the, district of Yata. He failed in this, and returned to the coast after a series of extraordinary hardships and adventures. On this journey Krapf penetrated as far as the Dana River.

A period of ten years elapsed before the work of exploration was resumed in those equatorial regions. In 1862 Baron von der Decken, accompanied by the young geologist, Thornton, visited Lake Jip� and Kilimanjaro, and for the first time a map of the region with some approach to scientific accuracy appeared. In a second expedition, with the assistance of Dr. Kersten, some new ground was broken to the south, and the country still more accurately defined. Kilimanjaro was ascended to nearly 14,000 feet, and Mount Meru triangulated. The travellers, however, failed in the great object of their expedition, viz: to enter the Masai country. At the very threshold they were met by several thousands of the dreaded warriors, and compelled to return to the coast. Their caravan leader was one Sadi–bin–Ahedi, who for the. first, but not the last, time appears before the geographical public. I have every reason to believe that Von der Decken’s failure was mainly due to the machinations of Sadi, whose little ways in that direction I have much reason to know, as will be seen ill the sequel of this narrative.

The next who penetrated into the interior was the missionary New, who also journeyed to Kilimanjaro, and for the first time in history reached the snow–line. On his return he discovered the wonderful little crater lake of Chala at the base of the mountain. On this expedition he also was accompanied by Sadi.

A few years later with the same guide and interpreter Mr. New returned to Chaga; but, having failed to satisfy the expectations of the dreaded warrior chief Mandara of Moschi, lie was plundered of everything, mainly through the instigations of Sadi. Like Rebmann on his last journey to Macham�, lie left Chaga broken down in ill health and spirits, to die on the road. According to Manadara, he was poisoned by Sadi, but that part of the story I can hardly believe; Sadi could have no motive to do anything of the sort. I call more easily believe that Mandara himself had an intention to kill New–as, indeed, he informed me in one of his extremely confidential moments,–but was prevented by his mother from carrying out his purpose.

Of the regions beyond Kilimanjaro and nothing was learned by direct observation. Geographers had to be content with the itineraries, of native traders notably those of Sadi as taken down by Wakefield, whose labours occupy by no mean., an unimportant part ill the history of East African exploration.

These accounts, however promised a rich reward of interesting discovery to the man who might dare to face the terrible Masai, and succeed in entering their country. This seemed for years to be too hard a wit to crack. The enterprise savoured too much of danger. Either the risks were considered too great, or the scheme too costly. Consequently, ill spite of the curiosity of the geographer, no attempt was for years made to organize an expedition.

In 1877 such a project was mooted, and considered among others by the African Committee of the Royal Geographical Society. It found ail enthusiastic advocate in Keith Johnston, who longed to have all opportunity of entering the Masai country; but the committee determined adversely, and sent him on the expedition to Nyassa, at the very commencement of which he succumbed to dysentery, leaving me to carry out the work. My inquiries at that time led me to wish ardently for the opportunity of making an attempt to reach Victoria Nyanza through the Masai country. There seemed, however, no immediate prospect of anything being done in that direction.

The year following my return home from the Nyassa expedition I went out to East Africa to examine the so–called coal region of the Rovuma basin for the Sultan of Zanzibar; but as I failed either to find or make that valuable mineral, my distinguished employer and I parted with mutual satisfaction.

In my instructions the object of the expedition was defined to be–"The ascertaining if a practicable direct route for European travellers exists through the Masai country from any one of the East African ports to Victoria Nyanza, and to examine Mount Kenia; to gather data for constructing as complete a map as possible in a preliminary survey; and to make all practicable observation. regarding the meteorology, geology, natural history, and ethnology of the regions traversed."