followed by many others. We were, the despatches said, to join with all possible speed, bringing all the ammunition and men with us.

The latest despatch was ten days old, and we could not hope to reach Kasongo in less than ten days, when in all human probability we should be too late. We started on the 4th of November, four officers, of whom two — Commandant Gillian and Lieutenant Augustin — had to be carried in hammocks. Our force consisted of fifty soldiers, and all that was left of Gongo Lutete's forces — a thousand indifferently-armed men. This was a most trying time, and at times I almost despaired of getting the two sick officers alive to Kasongo. We had infinite trouble, too, in trying to keep Gongo's people and their petty chiefs (now without a leader) in hand.