and Hambursin, and Sergeants Collet and Van Kiel; the whole force of regulars, consisting of four hundred men; and a 7*5 Krupp, for which we had only forty-four shells and a dozen rounds of canister left. They were accompanied by irregular troops armed with muzzleloaders, to the number of over three hundred. The first march of ten miles was made to the village of Piani Mayenge. The next day a dozen miles brought the column to Mwana Mkwanga, when the enemy were supposed to be within a couple of hours' march.

On the 15th of October, with the auxiliaries scouting in front, the column started with the intention of getting a position in the rear of the Arab positions; the enemy being established in several forts, two of which were situated between the Lulindi and Luama — tributaries of the Lualaba — and were