M. Giraud's Description. 
275 
soon evident that the man had no powder. Giraud's men fired off 
their guns, and showed that theirs were more effectual. One of 
the natives then said that the chief Mirambo demanded his boat 
(which they supposed could be made into bullets), his guns, and 
baggage, and that if he gave all up they would exchange blood 
with him, and take him safely to the chief. Compelled by hunger, 
Giraud yielded to these demands, but said he would not give up 
his guns. His baggage was then taken possession of and carried 
to the village of the minor chief who had spoken to him, named 
Kalambo ; and next day the boat was carried there bodily by 
200 men ; but he threw away the screws which held the sections 
together, and thus prevented the natives from ever making use of it. 
He was kept in the village ten days, Kalambo seeking to strip him of 
as much as possible before letting him go to Mirambo. At length, on 
the nth of August, 1883, tired of living upon dried meat only, 
he and his eight men escaped from the boma (stockade), and Kalambo 
soon followed with his small army, carrying their old muskets (with 
no powder) and other weapons ; but as these warriors disdained to 
carry anything else, the poor women, who were obliged to accompany 
them, were heavily laden. The journey northward, on the east of the 
Luapula, was a most wearisome one, and the party were dependent 
for food upon the animals Giraud shot, and upon which the natives 
fell like hyenas, making it difficult for him to get any portion for 
himself or his men. His trials were increased by his shoes going 
to pieces, and he suffered greatly from sore and bleeding feet. 
After fifteen days, under Kalambo's escort, Giraud reached Mirambo's, 
August 19th, and the frequent firing of guns on their arrival showed 
how well armed his people were. Mirambo was then about twenty- 
seven years old, and proudly received him. Giraud was struck with 
his unusual intelligence and ambition, and considered that one day 
he would become a great monarch in Africa if he did not meet with 
an untimely end. Mirambo explained to him that he used to live by 
the Luapula, but that ravages of small-pox compelled him to cross 
the desert country to the part where he now is. Mirambo proposed 
that Giraud should send one of his men to Kasembe's to guide the 
caravan to his own town, and Giraud was obliged to consent. After 
a while the natives had scarcely any food, and with difficulty sustained 
themselves on anything they could find. The women gathered a kind 
of parsley, the men sought for roots and small crabs from the rivers^ 
and the children caught grasshoppers. Now and again Giraud was 
obliged to resort to hunting, although the pain of walking with his 
sore feet was excruciating ; but he thus succeeded in getting some 
food for his party, the natives, however, claiming a large share, and 
giving him very little meal in return. 
On the 26th September Giraud's caravan arrived, bringing a supply 
of goods. He tried to part friends with Mirambo, and gave him a 
