smallpox were rife towards the Lualaba, and that all would die if they advanced. As the question of feeding this enormous multitude had also to be considered, Commandant Dhanis sent Lupungu with all his people home, giving out that we had a large enough force at our disposal without him.

This was a bluff which rather scared the Arabs advancing against us. While at Lusuna's we heard that Delcommune and Frankie had returned from their expedition to Katanga, and the Commandant requisitioned them to come to us or to send what help they could. News also reached us here of the murder of Lippens and Debruyne, two officers representing the Free State Government, resident at Sefu's court in Kasongo. We found out later that, after the defeat of Sefu on the Lomami (which resulted in the death of his cousin and several other