On reaching the frontier fort it was found to be in a state of
excitement bustle, and preparation.
News had just been received that the treacherous chief Hintza, although
professedly at peace with the colony, was secretly in league with the
invading chiefs, and the Governor was convinced of the necessity of
taking vigorous measures against him. The savages, flushed with
success, and retiring for a time to their own land with the cattle they
had carried off, found in Hintza one ready to aid them in every way. It
transpired that he had not only allowed the stolen cattle to be secreted
in his territory, but many of his own people were "out" with the
confederate chiefs fighting against the colonists, while traders under
his protection had by his orders been seized and plundered. A message
had therefore been sent to Hintza requiring him at once and decidedly to
declare his intentions. To this, instead of a reply, the savage chief
sent one of his braves, whose speech and conduct showed that his wily
master only wished to gain time by trifling diplomacy. The brave was
therefore sent back with another message, to the effect that if he,
Hintza, should afford any of the other chiefs shelter or protection, and
did not restore the booty concealed in his territory, he would be
treated as an enemy. It was also proposed that himself should come and
have an interview with the Governor, but this invitation he declined.
Sir Benjamin D'Urban, therefore, resolved to menace the truculent chief
in his own dominions, and when Hans Marais with his band entered the
square of the little fort, he found the troops on the point of setting
out.
The force consisted of a body of regulars and a burgher band collected
from all parts of the colony. Among them were hardy Englishmen from the
Zuurveld, tough with the training of fourteen years in the wilderness,
and massive Dutchmen from the karroo, splendid horsemen and deadly
shots.
While the bustle was at its height a party of horsemen galloped up to
the gate, headed by a giant. It turned out to be a contingent from Glen
Lynden, under Groot Willem of Baviaans River, with Andrew Rivers, Jerry
Goldboy, and several of the Dutch farmers of the Tarka in his train.
"Ho! here you are," cried Groot Willem in his hearty bass roar, as he
leaped to the ground and seized Hans Marais by the hand. "All well at
Eden--eh?"
"Burnt out," said Hans quietly.
The giant looked aghast for a moment. Then his friend ran hurriedly
over the main points of his story. But there was no time for talk.
While salutations were being exchanged by the members of the various
parties thus assembled, Sir Benjamin appeared, mounted his horse, gave
orders to several of his officers, and spoke a few words to Groot Willem
and Hans. In a few minutes the troops were marched out of the fort, and
next day reached the right bank of the Kei River.
This was the western boundary of Hintza's particular territory. On
arriving, the Governor issued general orders to the effect that Hintza
was not "to be treated as an enemy." No kraals were to be burnt, no
gardens or fields pillaged, and no natives meddled with, unless
hostilities were first begun by them, and that no act of violence should
be committed until due notice of the commencement of hostilities had
been given. "You see," said Sir Benjamin in a private conversation with
one of his staff, "I am resolved to take every possible precaution to
avoid giving cause of complaint to the great chief, and to endeavour by
mild forbearance to maintain peace. At the same time, it is essential
that I should act with vigour because undue forbearance is always
misinterpreted by savages to mean cowardice, and only precipitates the
evils we seek to avoid."
On arriving at a spot where a trader named Purcell had been plundered
and murdered, the troops were met by several "councillors" from Hintza
and from the chief Booko, who were still a day's journey distant. To
these the Governor said:--
"Go, tell the Great Chief that I request an interview with himself,
because I desire that peace should be between us, and that justice
should be done. I will not cease to advance until such interview is
obtained, and it will depend on his own conduct whether Hintza is
treated by the British Government as a friend or a foe."
But the Great Chief was doggedly bent on meeting his fate. He returned
no answer to the message, and the troops moved on. Arriving at the
mission station of Butterworth, they found it destroyed, and here they
were met by a large body of Fingoes--native slaves--who eagerly offered
their services to fight against their cruel masters the Kafirs. These
Fingoes--destined in after years to make a deep impression on the
colony--were the remains of eight powerful nations, who, broken up and
scattered by the ferocious Chaka and his Zulu hordes, had taken refuge
with Hintza, by whom they were enslaved and treated in the most brutal
manner. He gave them generally the name of Fingo, which means dog.
Their eager offer to serve under the British Chief was therefore most
natural, but Sir Benjamin declined their services at the time, as war
had not yet been declared.
Soon after, a detachment of thirty men was sent back to the colony with
despatches, in charge of an ensign named Armstrong, who was waylaid and
murdered by some of Hintza's Kafirs. The Governor, finding that his
overtures were treated with studied neglect, and that hostilities were
thus begun, called to him a Kafir councillor and warrior, and said--
"Your master has treated all my messages with contempt. He is in secret
alliance with the chiefs who have invaded our colony. He has received
and concealed cattle stolen from the white men. A British trader has
been deliberately murdered in his territory, near his own residence, and
under his protection, and no steps have been taken to punish the
murderers. Violence and outrage have been committed by him on British
traders, and missionaries living under his safeguard have been forced to
flee to the Tambookie chief to save their lives. I will no longer treat
with him. Since Hintza is resolved on war, he shall have it. I will
now take the Fingoes under my special protection, make them subjects of
the king of England, and severely punish any who commit violence upon
them. I will also carry off all the cattle I can find.--Go, tell your
master his blood shall be on his own head."
This message, which was followed up by prompt action, the capture of
considerable numbers of cattle, and a successful attack on one of his
principal kraals, brought the great chief to his senses--apparently, but
not really, as the sequel will show. He sent in four messengers with
proposals, but the Governor refused to treat with any one except Hintza
himself. Terrified at last into submission, he entered the camp with a
retinue of fifty followers, and was courteously received by the
commander-in-chief.
During the course of these proceedings detached parties were frequently
sent hither and thither to surprise a kraal or to capture cattle, and
the two parties under Groot Willem and Hans Marais, having arrived at
Fort Wilshire at the same time, were allowed to act pretty much in
concert.
One night they found themselves encamped in a dark mountain gorge during
a thunderstorm.
"Well, well," said Jerry Goldboy to Junkie, who with Scholtz had taken
refuge under the very imperfect shelter of a bush, "it's 'orrible 'ard
work this campaigning; specially in bad weather, with the point of one's
nose a'most cut off."
Jerry referred to a wound which an assagai aimed at his heart had that
day inflicted on his nose. The wound was not severe, but it was
painful, and the sticking-plaster which held the point of his
unfortunate member in its place gave his countenance an unusually
comical appearance.
"Is it very zore, boy?" asked Scholtz.
"Zore! I wish you 'ad it, an' you wouldn't 'ave to ask," returned
Jerry.
"How did you come by it?" asked Junkie, looking grave with difficulty.
"Well, it ain't easy to say exactly. You see it was getting dark at the
time, and I was doin' my best to drive a thief of a _h_ox down a place
in the kloof where it had to stand upright, a'most, on its front-legs,
with its tail whirlin' in the _h_air. An' I 'adn't much time to waste
neither, for I knew there was Kafirs all about, an' the troops was
gettin' a'ead of me, an' my 'oss was tied to a yellow-wood tree at the
foot o' the kloof, an' I began to feel sort o' skeery with the gloomy
thickets all around, an' rugged precipices lookin' as if they'd tumble
on me, an' the great mountains goin' up to 'eaven--oh! I can tell you
it was--it was--"
"In short, the most horrible sight you ever saw," said Junkie, drawing
his blanket tighter round his shoulders, and crouching nearer to the
bulky form of Scholtz for protection from the wind which was rising.
"Yes, Junkie, it was--the most 'orrible sight I ever saw, for wild
savageness, so I drew my sword and gave the _h_ox a prog that sent 'im
'ead over 'eels down the kloof w'ere 'e broke 'is back. Just at that
werry moment--would you mind takin' your toe out o' my neck, Junkie? it
ain't comfortable: thank you.--Well, as I was sayin', at that very
moment I spied a black fellow stealin' away in the direction of my 'oss.
He saw me too, but thought I didn't see _'im_. Up I jumps, an' run for
the 'oss. Up 'e jumps an' run likewise. But I was nearer than 'im, an'
a deal faster--though I don't mean to boast--"
"An' a deal frighteneder," suggested Junkie.
"P'raps, 'owever I got to the 'oss first. I didn't take time to mount,
but went leap-frog over 'is tail slap into the saddle, which gave the
hold 'oss such a skeer that 'e bolted! The Kafir 'e gave a yell an'
sent 'is assagai after me, an' by bad luck I looks round just as it went
past an' all but took off the point of my nose. Wasn't it unlucky?"
"Unlucky! you ungrateful man," growled Scholtz. "You should be ver'
glad de assagai did not stick you in de neck like von zow.--Is zat rain
vich I feels in ze back of mine head?"
"Like enough. There's plenty of it, anyhow," said Junkie, trying to
peer through the gloom in the direction of the tents occupied by a small
body of regular troops which accompanied them.
As he did so a sudden squall struck the tents, levelling two with the
ground, and entirely whisking off one, which, after making a wild circle
in the air, was launched over a precipice into thick darkness, and never
more seen!
Lying under another bush, not far distant, Considine and Hans lay
crouched together for the purpose at once of keeping each other warm and
presenting the smallest possible amount of surface to the weather. They
did not sleep at first, and being within earshot of the bush under which
the brothers Skyd had sheltered themselves, found sufficient
entertainment in listening to their conversation.
"We scarce counted on this sort of thing," said John Skyd, "when,
fifteen years ago, we left the shores of old England for `Afric's
southern wilds.'"
"That's true, Jack," was Bob Skyd's reply, "and I sometimes think it
would have been better if we had remained at home."
"Craven heart! what do you mean?" demanded James.
"Ay, what do you mean?" repeated Dobson; "will nothing convince you? It
is true we made a poor job of the farming, owing to our ignorance, but
since we took to merchandise have we not made a good thing of it--ain't
it improving every day, and won't we rise to the very pinnacle of
prosperity when this miserable war is over."
"Supposing that we are not killed in the mean-time," said Stephen Orpin,
who formed one of the group.
"That is a mere truism, and quite irrelevant," retorted Dobson.
"Talking of irrelevant matters, does any one know why Sandy Black and
McTavish did not come with Groot Willem?" asked Orpin.
To this John Skyd replied that he had heard some one say a party of the
Glen Lynden men had gone off to root out a nest of freebooters under
that scoundrel Ruyter, who, taking advantage of the times, had become
more ferocious and daring than ever.
"Yet some say," observed Dobson, "that the Hottentot robber is becoming
religious or craven-hearted, I don't know which."
"Perhaps broken-hearted," suggested Orpin.
"Perhaps. Anyhow it is said his followers are dissatisfied with him for
some reason or other. He does not lead them so well as he was wont to."
While the white men were thus variously engaged in jesting over their
discomforts, or holding more serious converse, their sable enemies were
preparing for them a warm reception in the neighbouring pass. But both
parties were checked and startled by the storm which presently burst
over them. At first the thunder-claps were distant, but by degrees they
came nearer, and burst with deafening crash, seemingly close overhead,
while lightning ran along the earth like momentary rivulets of fire. At
the same time the windows of heaven were opened, and rain fell in
waterspouts, drenching every one to the skin.
The storm passed as suddenly as it came, and at daybreak was entirely
gone, leaving a calm clear sky.
Sleepy, wet, covered with mud, and utterly miserable, the party turned
out of their comfortless bivouac, and, after a hasty meal of cold
provisions, resumed their march up the kloof.
At the narrowest part of it, some of the troops were sent in advance as
skirmishers, and the ambush was discovered. Even then they were in an
awkward position, and there can be no question that if the natives had
been possessed of fire-arms they would have been cut off to a man. As
it was, the savages came at them with dauntless courage, throwing their
assagais when near enough, and hurling stones down from the almost
perpendicular cliffs on either side. But nothing could resist the
steady fire of men who were, most of them, expert shots. Few of the
white men were wounded, but heaps of the Kafirs lay dead on each other
ere they gave way and retreated before a dashing charge with the
bayonet.
Oh! it was a sad sight,--sad to see men in the vigorous health of early
youth and the strong powers of manhood's prime cast lifeless on the
ground and left to rot there for the mistaken idea on the Kafirs' part
that white men were their natural enemies, when, in truth, they brought
to their land the comforts of civilised life; sad to think that they had
died for the mistaken notion that their country was being taken from
them, when in truth they had much more country than they knew what to do
with--more than was sufficient to support themselves and all the white
men who have ever gone there, and all that are likely to go for many
years to come; sad to think of the stern necessity that compelled the
white men to lay them low; sadder still to think of the wives and
mothers, sisters and little ones, who were left to wail unavailingly for
fathers and brothers lost to them for ever; and saddest of all to
remember that it is not merely the naked savage in his untutored
ignorance, but the civilised white man in his learned wisdom, who
indulges in this silly, costly, murderous, brutal, and accursed game of
war!
Returning from the fight next day with a large herd of captured cattle,
the contingent found that Hintza had agreed unconditionally to all the
proposals made to him by the Governor; among others that he should
restore to the colonists 50,000 head of cattle and 1000 horses,--one
half to be given up at once, the remainder in the course of a year.
The deceitful chief was thus ready in his acquiescence, simply because
he had no intention whatever of fulfilling his engagements. To blind
his white enemies the more effectually, he himself offered to remain in
the camp as a hostage, with his followers. Two other chiefs, Kreli and
Booko, also joined him. This seemingly gracious conduct won for Hintza
so much confidence that orders were immediately given to evacuate his
territory. He became the guest of Colonel Smith, and the Governor
presented him with numerous conciliatory gifts. Thereafter the camp was
broken up and the Governor took his departure.
No sooner was his back turned than Hintza's people commenced a general
massacre of the Fingoes. About thirty were murdered in cold blood near
to Colonel Somerset's camp.
Full of indignation, when he heard this, the Governor summoned Hintza to
his presence and related what had occurred.
"Well, and what then?" was the Kafir's cool reply, "are they not my
dogs?"
Sir Benjamin met this by giving orders that Hintza and all the people
with him should be put under guard, and held as hostages for the safety
of the Fingoes. He instantly despatched messengers to stop the carnage,
and said that if it continued after three hours he would shoot two of
Hintza's suite for every Fingo killed. He added, moreover, that if he
found there was any subterfuge in the message they sent--as he had
discovered to have been the case in former messages--he would hang
Hintza, Kreli, and Booko on the tree under which they were sitting.
In less than ten minutes the messengers of the chiefs were scampering
off at full speed in different directions with orders! So potent was
the power of this vigorous treatment that within the short time
specified the massacre was stopped.
But the Governor knew well the character of the men with whom he had to
deal. To have left the Fingoes in their hands after this would have
been tantamount to condemning them to suffer the revengeful wrath of
their cruel masters, who would no doubt have resumed the massacre the
instant the troops were withdrawn. Sir Benjamin therefore collected
them together, along with the few missionaries and other British
subjects who had found temporary refuge at the station of Clarkeburg.
He placed them under the care of the Reverend Mr Ayliffe, for whom the
Fingoes expressed sincere regard, and transported the whole body in
safety across the Kei.
"An amazing sight," observed Charlie Considine to a knot of his
comrades, as they reined up on the top of a knoll, and watched the long
line of Fingoes defiling before him like an antediluvian black snake
trailing its sinuous course over the land, with a little knot of
red-coats in front, looking like its fiery head, and sundry groups of
burghers, and other troops, here and there along its body, like
parti-coloured legs and claws. The length of this mighty snake may be
estimated when it is said that of the Fingo nation not fewer than 2000
men, 5600 women, and 9200 children, with 22,000 cattle, were led across
the Kei into the colony at that time.
The whole scene, with its multitudinous details, was a commingling of
the ludicrous, the touching, and the sublime. It was mirth-provoking to
observe the wild energy of the coal-black men, as they sprang from side
to side, with shield and assagai, driving in refractory cattle; the
curious nature of the bundles borne by many of the women; the frolicking
of the larger children and the tottering of the smaller ones, whose
little black legs seemed quite unequal to the support of their rotund
bodies. It was touching to see, here and there, a stalwart man pick up
a tired goat and lay it on his shoulders, or relieve a weary woman of
her burden--or catch up a stumbling little one that had lost its mother,
and carry it along in his arms. And it was a sublime thought that this
great army was being led, like the Israelites of old, out of worse than
Egyptian bondage, into a Christian colony, as the adopted sons and
daughters of a civilised Government.
It was, in one sense, a "nation born in a day," for the Fingoes were
destined, in after years, to become the faithful allies of their white
deliverers, and the creators of much additional wealth in the colony,--a
raw native material which at that time gladdened, and still rejoices,
the hearts of those missionaries who look to the Fingoes with reasonable
hope, as likely to become, in time, the bearers of the Gospel to their
kindred in the wilds of Central Africa.