it food for three days only, carried by natives, and a hundred rounds of ammunition per man. After several days' journeying northward the patrol reached the Bubye River, where dissensions arose between Captain liaaf and Major Forbes, the former being of opinion, rightly enough as the issue showed, that the mission was too dangerous to be pursued by a small body of men without supplies of food, and having no reserve of ammunition and no means of carrying the womided. The upshot was that Major Forbes decided to return, but was prevented from doing so by a letter received from Dr. Jameson, stating that he was sending forward a reinforcement of dismounted men under Captain Napier, with food, ammunition, and wagons, also sixteen mounted men under Captain Borrow. The force then proceeded to a deserted Mission Station known as Shiloh. On November 25 the column, three hundred strong and carrying with it three-quarter rations for twelve days, took uji the King's wagon spoor about one mile from Shiloh, and followed it through much discomfort, caused by the constant rain and the lack of roads, till, on December 3, a point was reached on the Shangani River, N.N.W. of Shiloh and distant from it about eighty miles.
On November 29, however, Major Forbes, finding that he could make small progress with the wagons, sent them away, and pro- ceeded with the best mounted men and two Maxims only, so that the actual force which reached the Shangani on the 3rd consisted of about one hundred and sixty men and a couple of machine guns.
At this time the information in possession of the leaders of the column was to the effect that the King was just in front of them across the river, accompanied only by a few of his followers. Under these circumstances Major Forbes instructed Major ^Yilson and eighteen men to go forward and reconnoitre along Lobengula's spoor ; the understanding seeming to have been that the party was to return by sundown, but that if it did not return it was, if neces- sary, to be supported by the whole column. "With this patrol went Mr. Burnham, the American scout, one of the three surviving white men who were eye-witnesses of that eventful night's Work, which ended so tragically at dawn.
What followed is best told as he narrated it by word of mouth to the compiler of this true story, and to a reporter of the ' West- minster Gazette,' the editor of which paper has courteously given periuission for the reproduction of the interview. Indeed, it would be difficult to tell it so well in words other than Mr. Burnham's own.
