which they had marched. On the 8th of January we were surprised and delighted by the arrival of Commandant Lothaire with a strong contingent of soldiers from Bangala and two smart officers. He had outrun the courier; in fact, Dhanis had not even hoped to get an answer to the requisition he had sent to him for another fortnight. One need hardly emphasise the contrast between Chaltin's action and Lothaire's, the same demand having been sent to both. Lothaire immediately departed with two hundred men to join de Wouters, and within two days they had established themselves in a position three hundred yards from Rumaliza's own boma and between it and his first advanced boma, our men being thus in a position to annoy both.

Rumaliza, under the impression that they were simply reconnoitring, did not attack them until their camp