that he intended to throw in his lot with us, but when it came to fighting again he joined our enemies. On the 23rd of March we again received letters repeating that the Inspector Five had ordered the camp of Basoko, with guns and at least five hundred men, to march to our support (thus confirming what we had heard on the other side of the river); and also stating that the Commandant Gillian was coming to our support with reinforcements from Lusambo, and might be expected to arrive a day or two after the despatches.

We allowed for an African day or two, which usually means a fortnight at least — and were not far out; for though Commandant Gillian arrived on the 5th of April, the whole of his caravan did not reach us until the 13th, which gave our people a chance of recovering from the effects of their