A HISTORY OF THE ZULU REBELLION, 1906
[Illustration]
MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited
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MELBOURNE
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TORONTO
[Illustration: COLONEL SIR HENRY E. McCALLUM, R.E., G.C.M.G.,
(Governor of Natal, 1901-1907).]
A HISTORY
OF
THE ZULU REBELLION
1906
AND OF
DINUZULU'S ARREST, TRIAL AND EXPATRIATION
BY
J. STUART
CAPT. NATAL FIELD ARTILLERY; INTELLIGENCE OFFICER, 1906-1909
EX-ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR NATIVE AFFAIRS, NATAL
WITH FIVE MAPS, SIX PLANS
AND TWENTY-FIVE ILLUSTRATIONS
MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON
1913
_COPYRIGHT_
Dedicated,
BY PERMISSION,
TO
HIS EXCELLENCY,
COLONEL SIR HENRY EDWARD McCALLUM.
R.E., G.C.M.G., AIDE-DE-CAMP TO HIS MAJESTY THE KING, ETC., ETC.
GOVERNOR OF NATAL (1901-1907),
WHOSE FIRM AND CAPABLE ADMINISTRATION
OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COLONY,
IN A TIME OF PUBLIC DANGER,
WILL LONG BE REMEMBERED WITH GRATITUDE
BY EVERY NATALIAN.
PREFACE.
Although the object of this book is stated in the opening paragraph, it
is, perhaps, proper that the circumstances under which it came to be
written should also be set briefly before the reader.
Towards the end of the campaign, probably the first to be conducted by
a British colony without the assistance of the Mother Country,[1] the
Government of Natal decided that a history of the military operations
should be compiled. On being asked, I consented to undertake the
task. But, though promptly entered upon, the greatest difficulty was
experienced in carrying it to a conclusion. This arose from my being a
civil servant and being obliged to continue discharging certain special
as well as ordinary official duties. As, when the Union of South Africa
was established, the work had not been completed, the attention of the
Minister of Defence was drawn to the matter. General Smuts intimated
that the new Government was unable to ratify the original instructions,
and that if the book was ever to be published (which he personally
hoped would be the case) it would have to be on my own responsibility
and at my own expense. In these circumstances, particularly as an
opportunity occurred of severing my twenty-four years' connection with
the Civil Service, I resolved to go on with it and appeal for support
to those who had taken part in the campaign. This appeal was made to a
somewhat limited extent in 1912, and it is owing very largely to the
guarantee then obtained that the heavy costs of publication have been
incurred.
But, although the volume can no longer claim to be an official
publication, it is in the unique position of being based as much on
official information as, perhaps, any exclusively official history
could have been, for I am pleased to say that considerable assistance
has been given by the Government, especially by all records, _e.g._
commanding and other officers' reports, statistics, maps, etc., being
placed freely at my disposal. The reader will, however, soon perceive
that the subject has been treated with a fulness and freedom that
could hardly have been expected in a more formal production. Owing,
for instance, to having for years specialized in Zulu history, habits,
and customs, I have not hesitated to incorporate information, germane
to the subject, which I felt the reader might wish to have, especially
as some of it is not procurable elsewhere. Moreover, instead of being
limited, as at first intended, to the events of 1906, the narrative
includes a detailed account of the Dinuzulu Expedition, and other
topics incidental to that important sequel of the Rebellion.
Although I had the privilege of serving as intelligence officer
throughout the campaign, as well as during the Expedition, and
therefore was an eye-witness of many of the operations, it became
necessary, as it was desired that the history should be comprehensive,
to obtain exact information regarding several actions, operations,
etc., at which I was not present. A party, which included a first-class
surveyor and professional photographer, was accordingly organized
by direction of the Commandant, as early as November, 1906, for the
purpose of visiting the battle-fields. The members were selected
for their personal knowledge of what had occurred at the places in
question. Quantities of accurate information, not previously available,
were thereupon collected by me at each spot, the surveyor at the same
time preparing the maps and plans included herein.
So abundant is the material accumulated then, as well as on various
other occasions, that it would have been easy to compile a much larger
work than the present one. That the book is as full as it is, is due
to the fact that no general account exists of an occurrence that must
for long loom large in the history of the Native races of South Africa.
To some extent, owing to my recent intimate connection with the Native
Affairs Department, the book may even claim to be an introduction to
and a study of some of the more fundamental aspects of the Native
Question--no doubt the greatest problem with which South African
statesmen will ever be called on to deal.
The main object throughout has been to ensure accuracy. Working, as
I have had to do, practically alone, the task has proved long and
difficult. This is the sole reason why the time originally fixed for
publication has, I regret to say, been exceeded by a few months.
I cannot conclude without acknowledging my indebtedness and expressing
my thanks to the many officers, non-commissioned officers and men,
and others not in the military service, who, from time to time, have
given valuable information and helpful suggestions or advice. To
name but a few of these would be invidious. I can only say that the
uniform readiness and unfailing courtesy of all to whom I was obliged
to appeal have been greatly appreciated, and have gone a long way
towards rendering the undertaking less arduous than it otherwise would
have been. To say that the greatest assistance has come from the
Government, especially the Militia and Police Departments in Natal and
the Volunteer Department in the Transvaal, is but to state what will be
patent to everyone.
The despatches from the Governors, Sir Henry McCallum and Sir Matthew
Nathan, to the Secretary of State for the Colonies in various
blue-books have been invaluable. Captain W. Bosman's and Mr. W.J.
Powell's well-known books have, of course, also been consulted; the
help derived from them, especially the former, is very gratefully
acknowledged.
My thanks are also due to J. Windham, Esq., and my mother for reading
several of the chapters and suggesting various improvements.
The index is the work of Miss M. Marsh, of the _Encyclopædia
Britannica_ staff; no pains have been spared in rendering it as
complete and accurate as possible.
J. STUART.
London, _June, 1913_.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 1: But see p. 63.]
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. Introduction, 1
II. System of Native Administration in Natal, 18
III. State of Military Organization on the Outbreak
of Rebellion, 38
IV. Zulu Military System and Connected Customs
(with a Note on the Rebel Organization, 1906), 67
V. Events and Conditions antecedent to Outbreak
of Hostilities.--Murder of Hunt and Armstrong, 92
VI. Mobilization and Demonstrations in Force
(_a_) in the South-west, (_b_) at Mapumulo.--Executions
at Richmond, 127
VII. Outbreak at Mpanza, 155
VIII. Flight of Bambata to Nkandhla Forests.--First
Steps taken to cope with the Situation.--Zulu
Customs, 178
IX. The Nkandhla Forests.--Sigananda and his
Tribe.--Dinuzulu's Attitude.--Early Operations
at Nkandhla.--Murder of H.M.
Stainbank, 204
X. Mobilization of Zululand Field Force.--Mansel
Engages the Enemy at Bobe, 222
XI. Converging Movement on Cetshwayo's Grave.--Negotiations
for Sigananda's Surrender.--Further
Operations, Nkandhla.--Tate Gorge, 237
XII. Operations by (_a_) Umvoti Field Force, (_b_) Mackay's
Column.--Battle of Mpukunyoni, 257
XIII. Further Operations by Zululand Field Force.--Action
at Manzipambana.--Enemy decides to move in Force to Mome, 280
XIV. Action at Mome Gorge, 299
XV. State of Affairs at Umsinga.--Operations by
Murray-Smith's Column.--Further Operations
by Umvoti Field Force and Mackay's
Column, 318
XVI. Concluding Operations, Nkandhla.--Visit of
Dinuzulu's Indunas to Pietermaritzburg.--Position
at Mapumulo.--Actions at Otimati
and Peyana (Hlonono), 333
XVII. General Concentration at Thring's Post.--Actions
at Macrae's Store, Insuze and
Ponjwana.--Converging Movement on Meseni's
Ward, 359
XVIII. Action at Izinsimba.--Concluding Operations.--Disbandment.
--Courts-martial.--Cost of the Rebellion, 386
XIX. Some Lessons of the Rebellion, 407
XX. Native Affairs Commission.--Visit of Dinuzulu
to Pietermaritzburg.--Murders of Loyalists.--Escape
of Bambata's Wife and Children
from Usutu.--Remobilization of Militia
to arrest Dinuzulu, 424
XXI. Dinuzulu Expedition.--Surrender of Dinuzulu.--Calling
in of Firearms.--Searching for
Outstanding Rebels, 443
XXII. Preliminary Examination and Trial of Dinuzulu.--Withholding
of his Salary.--His Settlement
in the Transvaal, 460
XXIII. Review of Policy followed in Connection with
Dinuzulu.--His Status.--His Attitude during,
and subsequent to, the Rebellion, 477
XXIV. Conclusion, 504
APPENDICES.
I. Casualties, (_a_) Killed, (_b_) Wounded, 540
II. Honours, 543
III. Strength of Forces, 7th May, 1906, 546
IV. Disposition of Forces, 7th May, 1906, 547
V. State of Transport, 7th May, 1906, 548
VI. Strength of Active Militia called out, December, 1907, 549
VII. Strength of Reserves in the Field, December, 1907, 549
VIII. Expenditure, Rebellion and Dinuzulu Expedition, 550
IX. Zulu Songs sung at Usutu, 551
X. Causes, Superstitions, etc., Matabele Rebellion, 1896, 551
XI. Native Corps, 557
Index, 563
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
(_a_) ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
Colonel Sir Henry E. McCallum, R.E., G.C.M.G., _Frontispiece_
Hon. C.J. Smythe, 16
Hon. Sir Thomas Watt, K.C.M.G., "
Hon. T.F. Carter, K.C., "
Hon. H.D. Winter, "
Colonel H.T. Bru-de-Wold, C.M.G., D.S.O., 48
Major-General Sir J.G. Dartneli, K.C.B., C.M.G., "
Colonel G. Leuchars, C.M.G., D.S.O., "
Sir Abe Bailey, K.C.M.G., "
Mr. H.M. Stainbank, 124
Mr. Oliver E. Veal, "
Sub-Inspector S.H.K. Hunt, "
Trooper G. Armstrong, "
Bambata, 188
Cakijana, "
Sigananda, "
Mangati, "
Brigadier-General Sir D. McKenzie, K.C.M.G., C.B., 226
Mveli, 430
Sitshitshili, "
Sibindi, "
Mankulumana, "
Bambata's Wife, "
Usutu Kraal, 450
Group: Dinuzulu, Hon. W.P. Schreiner, K.C., AND OTHERS, 472
(_b_) MAPS AND PLANS.
Key Map, and Area of Operations, _End of Index_
Mpanza, 172
Bobe, 232
Mpukunyoni, 274
Manzipambana, 290
Mome, showing Tate Gorge, 310
Otimati, 351
Peyana (Hlonono), 358
Insuze, 370
Ponjwana (Sikota's Kraal), 372
Izinsimba and Macrae's Store, 390
ABBREVIATIONS.
B.M.R. Border Mounted Rifles.
Cd. Command, _i.e._ "Presented by 'Command' of His
Majesty to both Houses of Parliament."
C.M.R. Cape Mounted Rifles.
C.N.A. Commissioner for Native Affairs.
D.C.M. Distinguished Conduct Medal.
D.L.I. Durban Light Infantry.
H.F.F. Helpmakaar Field Force.
I.L.H. Imperial Light Horse.
J.M.R. Johannesburg Mounted Rifles.
L. and Y. Lancaster and York.
M.C.R. Militia Composite Regiment.
N.C. Natal Carbineers.
N.D.M.R. Northern District Mounted Rifles.
N.F.A. Natal Field Artillery.
N.M.C. Natal Medical Corps.
N.M.R. Natal Mounted Rifles.
N.N.C. Natal Naval Corps.
N.N.H. Natal Native Horse.
N.P. Natal Police.
N.R. Natal Rangers.
N.R.R. Natal Royal Regiment.
N.S.C. Natal Service Corps.
N.T.C. Natal Telegraph Corps.
N.V.C. Natal Veterinary Corps.
O.C. Officer Commanding.
R.H. Royston's Horse.
S.A.L.H. South African Light Horse.
Sc.H. Scottish Horse.
S.N.A. Secretary for Native Affairs.
T.M.R. Transvaal Mounted Rifles.
Transport Natal Transport Corps.
U.D.R. Umvoti District Reserves.
U.F.F. Umvoti Field Force.
U.M.R. Umvoti Mounted Rifles.
U.S.N.A. Under Secretary for Native Affairs.
V.D. Volunteer Decoration.
Z.F.F. Zululand Field Force.
Z.M.R. Zululand Mounted Rifles.
Z.N.P. Zululand Native Police (Nongqai).
GLOSSARY.
_Commando_ A Boer military force, usually one recruited
from a particular district.
_Division (District)_ The magisterial areas in Natal are usually
spoken of as 'divisions,' in Zululand as
'districts.'
_Donga_ A channel or hollow worn in the earth by a
current of water; a gully; the bank of a
river, etc.
_Impi_ A force,--military, hostile, etc.
_Indaba_ A story, affair, public inquiry, etc.
_Induna_ An officer. The word, however, connotes in one
context, military, and in another, civil,
functions. In the case of Dinuzulu it may
also be taken to mean 'political adviser.'
_Isibalo_ Corvée or compulsory labour.
_Ka_ A preposition, signifying son or daughter of,
_e.g._ Matshana _ka_ Mondise.
_Kloof_ A ravine or gorge.
_Kop_ A peak.
_Kopje_ A small hill or peak.
_Krantz_ A precipice or cliff.
_Lagers_ Enclosures of various kinds erected to serve as
temporary or permanent fortifications.
_Loopers_ Large shot, or irregularly-shaped pieces of
metal used instead of shot.
_Nkomondala_ Name of Dinuzulu's bodyguard; formed about
1901.
_Nongqai_ Policeman. Members of Z.N.P. Corps. The word,
which really means 'watching,' is probably
derived from _uGqainyanga_, a moon-gazer,
_i.e._ night-watchman.
_Outspan_ _v._ To unyoke or unharness; _n._ Place where
unyoking or harnessing occurs.
_Spoor_ A recently-formed track.
_Supreme Chief_ Title assumed by Governor in his capacity as
head of the Native population.
_Thorn country, the_ Country, usually low-lying, covered with
_thorns_ stunted trees of Mimosa (thorn) species.
_Trek_ Travelling by waggon, especially when drawn by
oxen.
_Tshokobezi_, properly Bushy portion of ox or cow-tail, usually white,
_umtshokobezi_ worn about the head or neck by adherents of
the Usutu faction among the Zulus; the
wearer of such badge.
_Umkumbi_ The close, circular formation in which an
_impi_ is drawn up to be doctored, to receive
instructions, etc.
_Usutu_ (1) Name of the tribe or faction recently
presided over by Dinuzulu. (2) The war-cry
used by members of Dinuzulu's tribe, as well
as by those who espoused his or Bambata's
cause.
_Veld_ Open, unenclosed country.
_Viyo_ A company of warriors, usually varying from
fifty to eighty or more in number.
_Voorlooper_ A person, generally a small Native boy, who leads
a span of oxen.
_Voortrekker_ A pioneer.
I.
INTRODUCTION.
The main object of this book is to describe the military operations of
the Rebellion of 1906-08, a rebellion in which a considerable section
of the Zulus of Natal and Zululand took up arms against the Government
of Natal. Such conflict was, of course, between a race of savages on
the one hand, and a number of Europeans or representatives of Western
Civilization on the other. An account of the campaign that ensued
might, indeed, succeed in holding the reader's attention and even
afford information of practical value. However that may be, whenever
great and sudden outbursts of hostility occur in human society, no one
is quite satisfied unless he can, at the same time, learn something of
the inner or underlying circumstances under which they came to take
place. Particularly is this the case when, as in the present instance,
the hostilities were planned by people with whom the British race had
been in close contact and on terms of amity for upwards of eighty
years. This aspect of the matter will, therefore, be kept carefully in
view, in the hope that some of that fuller information, which, it is
assumed, every reader naturally desires to have, may be afforded. In
order that this better understanding may be obtained, it is necessary
to begin with the first coming into contact of the colonists with the
Zulu people.
It was in May, 1824, that the first group of European settlers arrived
in Natal by sea from the Cape Colony.[2] They found large tracts of
country about Port Natal almost uninhabited.[3] Learning that the King
of that important section of the Bantu family, the great and terrible
Tshaka, then residing in what is now called Zululand, claimed the
territory as his, they immediately repaired to the royal headquarters,
Bulawayo,[4] obtained from the despot permission to take up their
abode at the Port and enter into commercial dealings with his people.
Notwithstanding the ease with which a footing was obtained, their
position was, for many years, one of very considerable insecurity,
which, indeed, was inevitable under the prevailing mode of government.
The circumstances might have been different had the Zulu dynasty been
long in power. As it was, for barely a decade had any kingdom existed
in those parts, its existence having been brought about by Tshaka
himself by means of a newly-created and remarkable military system,
to be described in a later chapter, under which practically every man
and youth capable of bearing arms was bound to serve. As, through
the King's aggressive tactics, the borders of the country were being
rapidly expanded, it can be seen his forces were constantly being
augmented in proportion.
Owing, then, to the existence, on the north side of the Tugela, of this
large, efficient and highly-organized army of warlike barbarians, an
army whose movements were dependent on the caprice of as absolute an
autocrat as it is possible to conceive--an army prepared and able, upon
emergency, as was proved upon various occasions, to mobilize 40,000
to 50,000 men (inhabiting roadless, mountainous regions) within a
week--it became a matter of vital importance for such state of affairs
to be borne perpetually in mind; for these early colonists, it must
be remembered, were, from 1824 to 1837, but a handful of strangers
in a strange land. It became their first duty to maintain a strictly
friendly disposition towards the Zulu monarch, and to avoid, by all
means in their power, a conflict which must have severely crippled
them, if it did not result in the complete annihilation of themselves,
their families and dependants.
There were, however, not a few influences at work, feeble though these
were, in the direction of placating the Zulu monarch, and securing,
as far as possible, his continual friendly co-operation and goodwill.
Among these, practical services of various kinds were rendered by the
pioneers from time to time, in a collective as well as individual
capacity. For instance, they were occasionally called on to assist
in military expeditions; when not so engaged, they established and
developed a commerce in sundry commodities, notably blankets, cloth,
bangles and beads of different colours and sizes, in exchange for
ivory, cattle, goats, corn, maize, etc., which proved as beneficial
to the aborigines as it was lucrative for the settlers. Then again,
men like Henry F. Fynn, the first European to settle permanently in
Natal, ministered unceasingly to the numerous sick, indigent and
wounded people, including the King and his relations, whom he found
about him on every side during his journeys of exploration. In these
and other ways, the foundations of a warm friendship (soon extended
to every member of the party, and, later on, to all other Europeans
that came to Natal) were gradually and successfully built up. Alive to
the material advantages arising out of having the British settlers
so close at hand--for were they not the makers of firearms?--not to
refer to the intense interest undoubtedly aroused through his coming
into contact with a strange, exceedingly capable and amicably-disposed
race, apparently so situated at Port Natal as not to be a source of
domestic or political annoyance, Tshaka, on being appealed to, readily
agreed to cede to them, "their heirs and executors," a tract of country
stretching some thirty-five miles along the coast, north and south of
Port Natal, and running "about one hundred miles backward from the
sea-shore,"[5] and there, in 1835, at the Port, was laid off the now
beautiful town of Durban.
Thus, the earliest provisions consisted in nought else than the
establishment and consolidation of a bond of friendship between the
little band of adventurers and the rulers of the land, and, so long as
that bond was faithfully observed, so long was there peace between the
parties, whatever else might have been the position in respect of the
adjoining states.
From 1824 to 23rd September, 1828 (the date of Tshaka's assassination),
the British settlers averaged about twenty-five souls in number.
Between the latter date and 1834 they fell to a smaller figure. But,
from then on to 19th October, 1837,[6] when a party of Boers under Piet
Retief arrived at Durban from the Cape Colony, the numbers, through
the coming of traders and missionaries, and their families, were
considerably increased.
The policy of the pioneers, indeed, could be no other than, for the
time being, to place themselves wholly and unreservedly under the
protection of the Zulu sovereign, first Tshaka, their declared and,
as it proved, real and constant friend, and subsequently, Dingana,
perfidious autocrat as he soon revealed himself to be. The kindly
feelings entertained by Tshaka towards _his_ Europeans (_abelungu_),
as he always called them, and the invaluable services and substantial
concessions extended to them up to the day of his assassination, are
not borne in mind in these days as much as they deserve to be. This
disposition carried with it, as a matter of course, an unqualified
attitude of amity and respect on the part of the entire Zulu nation,
only too eager to render immediate obedience to their tyrant.
With his successor and brother Dingana, the position became greatly
altered. So far from cherishing a friendly disposition towards the
immigrants, he regarded them as sources of peculiar inconvenience, if
not as an insidious and growing menace to his very throne and person.
He resented their harbouring refugees from his country at Port Natal,
notwithstanding that Tshaka had always refrained from troubling himself
with such escapades, on the ground that, in quitting Zululand for the
_abelungu_ at Isibubulungu (as the Zulus called Port Natal), they had
but gone to his friends, and were, therefore, within reach whenever
required. So uneasy and hostile did Dingana eventually become that,
in 1834, he dispatched a strong raiding-party to massacre every soul,
white as well as black, settled in the neighbourhood of the Port,
and this vindictive order would have been carried out to the letter,
had they not fled precipitately either towards the Cape Colony, or
concealed themselves in the numerous bushes round about. As it was,
a party, headed by Fynn, consisting of a considerable number of his
Native adherents, was overtaken by the raiders south of Umzimkulu, and
exterminated almost to a man, Fynn himself escaping. Nor was this the
only occasion on which this King betrayed his hatred of the British
settlers.[7]
With the arrival overland from the Cape Colony of the Boer
voortrekkers, however, a great change came over the scene. Momentous
events followed one another in quick succession. Here was a well-armed,
mounted and efficient force, extremely small in numbers as compared
with the Zulus, and very desirous of occupying the land they found
vacant in the northern portions of Natal. Although in no way intending
to be aggressors, the entirely amicable and co-operative spirit in
which they entered upon negotiations with Dingana being evidence of
this fact, they were undoubtedly regarded _ab initio_ in that light
by the Zulus. The Boers, however, had arrived in these practically
unexplored regions prepared for all contingencies, war included;
Dingana saw this, and war they were compelled to enter upon forthwith.
The treacherous and brutal massacre of Piet Retief, along with some
sixty followers and forty Hottentot and Native servants, at the
principal royal kraal, Mgungundhlovu, on the 6th February, 1838,
followed almost immediately by the cold-blooded murders of 281 Boer
men, women and children, together with 250 of their coloured servants,
at Bushman's and Blauwkrantz Rivers in Natal, were the initial acts
of that wholly unprovoked war. The valiant manner in which 460
voortrekkers subsequently went forth to oppose an army outnumbering
them by at least 40 to 1; the readiness with which they moved about the
roadless country with cumbersome transport, notwithstanding the traps
occasionally laid by a crafty foe; their crushing victory over some
9,500 Zulus at Blood River on 16th December, 1838; and their further
expedition of January-February, 1840, when, as the result of a battle
between Dingana and their ally Mpande, the former's power was finally
shattered, will always stand to their credit, and be a lesson as to how
operations can be conducted with success against a race of barbarians.
Subsequently to the death of Dingana, probably from poisoning, in
January, 1840, his brother, Mpande, who, towards the end of 1839, had
crossed over into Natal with a vast concourse of adherents to seek the
protection of the Boers, was later on formally installed by the latter
as Paramount Chief of the Zulus.
Between 1840 and 1843, the relations between the English settlers on
the coast and the Boers, who had taken up their residence further
inland,[8] unhappily became so strained that open hostilities broke
out between them in the winter of 1843, the former having been
strengthened by a regiment sent overland to Durban in 1842. This
regrettable conflict resulted in the formal annexation of Natal by the
British Government, the majority of the Boers falling back to establish
themselves in territory across the Vaal, then already partly occupied
by their own countrymen, and now known as the Transvaal.
After being invested by the Boers, as already stated, Mpande maintained
and even elaborated the Zulu military system. This system continued to
exist, not only to the end of his reign in 1872, but throughout that of
his son Cetshwayo, that is, until the Zulu War of 1879.
* * * * *
During this long period, notwithstanding that numerous immigrants
arrived in Natal, nothing in the shape of regular military organization
took place among the white settlers, beyond the formation, from time
to time, of volunteer corps[9] (this, however, does not apply to the
Boers who, between 1837 and 1843, were well organized). Lagers[10] were
erected in various parts of the Colony, as well as a few magazines for
arms and ammunition. Where magazines existed, rifle associations soon
began to be formed.
If it was never possible to determine how long it might be before
trouble arose, the Government was aware that a general rising could
originate only in Zululand. From the time the first colonists arrived
in Natal, up to the end of the Zulu War, August, 1879, the principal
arbiter of savage warfare in South Africa was the Zulu sovereign.
It was to him that the whole of the tribes of Zululand--the real
storm-centre of South Africa--looked, including those of Natal, who
were without any hereditary King. The latter were, indeed, only
too glad to place themselves under the protection of the British
Government, and even actively assist against their former King in the
campaign of 1879. The majority of the Natives of Natal then, and the
same is still the case, consisted of people who, at various times, had
fled from Zululand, fearing lest they should be put to death on some
bogus charge of practising witchcraft, of infringing the very stringent
and remarkable marriage regulations, or of neglecting to conform to
a hundred and one instructions or directions. Ever since the days of
Dingana, the King became exceedingly incensed on hearing of any of
his subjects breaking away to place himself under the notoriously
milder European rule south of the Tugela. Any neglect to conform to
his pleasure, where, in former days, similar desires would have been
carried out with alacrity and without the least demur, appeared to
be no less than outrageous defiance, and, as such, punishable with
the utmost rigour. The tendency of fleeing to Natal from the despotic
laws, which became even more arbitrary as the possibility of infringing
any of them with impunity appeared greater, grew to such formidable
proportions, that special regulations were introduced in Natal to cope
with the situation. Refugees, for instance, were required to indenture
themselves as labourers to European house-holders, farmers, etc., for
a period of three years. But, by the time Cetshwayo, long the _de
facto_ ruler of Zululand, actually began to reign (October, 1872), the
prestige of the Imperial Government had become so firmly established in
Natal, and to such numbers had the farmers and other Europeans grown,
backed up by an Imperial garrison at Fort Napier, Pietermaritzburg,
that the King perceived that any attack was not only destined to fail,
but must result in the prompt dispatch of irresistible forces to bring
an end to his rule. The fact, however, remained that the relations
between Cetshwayo and the representatives of Imperial authority in
Natal became more and more strained, and the outbreak of war between
the two races sooner or later inevitable.
No one appreciated better the position than did the Natives in Natal.
Because, in most cases, their having come to the Colony was tantamount
to flagrant defiance of the royal will, so, no one knew better than
they, that, in having placed themselves under alien protection, they
had thereby burnt their boats behind them and incurred the unappeasable
wrath of the Zulu dynasty. It is for this reason that Natal Natives
were, formerly, at all times only too eager to co-operate with their
protectors in the direct or indirect destruction of the Zulu power.
In these circumstances, as actual warfare between the colonists and
the Zulus was never imminent, notwithstanding sharp differences in
civilization, manners and customs, till shortly before 1879, it was
unnecessary to promote systematic enrolment and organization of the
local forces.
There was, however, an important factor in the situation to which
reference should be made. Natal became a British Colony in 1843, and
remained such, though at first, for a few years, annexed to the Cape
Colony, until the grant of responsible government in 1893; thus,
during the long critical period preceding and succeeding the Zulu
War, it devolved on the Imperial Government to provide continually
for the protection of its recently-acquired possession. A regiment
was stationed at Fort Napier. With the existence of this organized
and well-armed force, capable of quelling any local disorder of
limited proportions, there was still less necessity for organizing the
Colony's fighting material. For all ordinary purposes, the Volunteers
and the Natal Mounted Police, commanded for many years by Major (now
Major-General Sir John) Dartnell--the first to organize the Volunteers
into a military body--were sufficient, with the Imperial troops behind
them, to preserve order. After responsible government was granted,
however, it became imperative for Natal to consider how to defend
herself by means of her own resources against an internal or external
foe.
* * * * *
Although there was no regular Native war in Natal proper between
1824 and 1906, there were periodical disturbances, limited, however,
to particular districts. Among these may be named: the Fodo Revolt
(Unkomanzi River), 1846; the Sidoyi Expedition (Ixopo division), April,
1857; the Matshana Expedition (Umsinga division), March, 1858; and the
Langalibalele Rebellion (Estcourt division), November, 1873.
The most important occurrences outside, though near, the borders of
Natal were: the conquest of Zululand by the Boers, assisted to some
extent by British colonists, 1838-9; a raid by a Boer commando from
Natal on Ncapayi, (Pondoland), 1841; battle between Cetshwayo and
Mbuyazi, sons of Mpande and rival claimants to the Zulu throne, near
the mouth of the Tugela (Ndondakusuka), December, 1856; the Bushman
Expedition, 1866; the Sikukuni Rebellion, 1878-9; the Zulu War, 1879;
and the Zululand disturbances, 1883-8.
Other battles or campaigns, in which, however, the Natives were only
indirectly concerned, were: Battle of Congella, 1843; the Boer War,
1881; and the Boer War, 1899-1902.
Of the foregoing campaigns, etc., it is proposed to refer specially to
two only, the Langalibalele Rebellion and the Zulu War.
The Langalibalele Rebellion, the only internal warfare of any
importance prior to that of 1906, and for that reason worthy of
notice here, occurred in 1873. It was directly connected with the
Kimberley diamond fields, which began to be developed in the year
1870. Contractors recruited labourers in Natal for the mines. Many of
these Natives received guns in lieu of wages and returned with them
to Natal. The Government, objecting to unregistered arms being held,
proceeded to call them in for registration, or confiscation, where
any owner was regarded as unfit to possess a firearm. Langalibalele,
Chief of the Hlubi tribe, living near Estcourt, refused, in the name
of those of his tribe concerned, to comply with the order, although
aware of instructions issued by the Government prohibiting the
introduction and holding of guns, except under the usual conditions. It
was believed most of the unlawfully-held weapons were in possession of
this particular tribe. A force, accompanied by the Lieutenant-Governor
and consisting of 200 regular troops, 300 colonial volunteers, and
some 6,000 Natives, marched on 30th October to enforce obedience.
Langalibalele, with a large following, fled at once into Basutoland.
Many of his cattle, etc., as well as those of a Chief, Putili, who was
associated with him, were seized. In attempting to hold a difficult
pass in the Drakensberg Mountains,[11] by which it was correctly
supposed the fugitives would travel, Major A.W. Durnford[12] and
his men[13] who had been directed "not to fire the first shot,"
were attacked by about 200 rebels on the 4th November--three Natal
Carbineers and two Natives being killed. It was found necessary to
proclaim martial law on the 11th of the same month over the disaffected
area, but only, as it happened, for a period of fourteen days. During
the operations, some 200 rebels were killed. Langalibalele himself
was followed up in December by a force under Capt. A.B. Allison,
one of the Magistrates of the Colony. Finding himself opposed by
Natal forces, Cape Colony troops (which had been specially sent to
co-operate), as well as by the Basutos, Langalibalele, after offering
some resistance, surrendered. Of the 7,000 cattle captured from him in
Basutoland (besides 200-300 horses), 2,000 were awarded to the Basutos,
Allison conveying the remainder, with the Chief and a number of other
prisoners, back over the mountains to Natal. The Chief, with some of
his sons and followers, were afterwards tried at Pietermaritzburg. He
was deposed and banished to Robben Island, Cape Town, and his tribe
broken up. After some years, however, he was permitted to return to
Natal, where he subsequently died a natural death.
With regard to the Zulu War, the fundamental causes were disputes with
Transvaal Boers over land matters, notably territory lying between the
Buffalo River--then part of the eastern border of Natal--to as far down
as where the Blood River enters it, and the Pongolo River. Another
cause was, violation of Natal territory in July, 1878, by three sons
and a brother of Sirayo, a Zulu. One of these sons was Mehlokazulu, of
whom more will be heard when the Rebellion itself is being dealt with.
The land matters were investigated by a Commission. Whilst the award to
be made was under consideration, various incidents occurred, thereby
complicating still further an already strained position. An ultimatum
was sent, by direction of the High Commissioner (Sir Bartle Frere), to
the Zulu King, Cetshwayo. This, _inter alia_, required that certain
promises, alleged to have been made by Cetshwayo at his coronation
in respect of governing his people should be observed, _e.g._ that
his army should be disbanded; that the military system should be
discontinued, except on certain specified lines; that, on arriving at
man's estate, Zulus should be free to marry, without waiting to receive
special royal sanction; that a British resident, whose duty it would
be to see that these and other stipulations were observed, should
henceforth reside in Zululand.
The King failed to meet the demands, whereupon his country was invaded
by three columns. During the campaign, which lasted just under eight
months, several severe engagements were fought. Among these were
Inyezane, Isandhlwana, Rorke's Drift, Hlobane, Kambula, Gingindhlovu
and Ulundi.[14]
The last battle, Ulundi, when the Zulu power was broken up, was fought
on the 4th July, but it was not until 28th August that the King was
captured.
On the conclusion of the War, the country was divided into thirteen
districts, over which as many Chiefs, with very extensive powers, were
appointed by Sir Garnet (later Viscount) Wolseley. The arrangement
soon proved calamitous and unsatisfactory, notwithstanding that a
British resident was stationed in the country to supervise internal and
external affairs.
After his arrest, Cetshwayo was imprisoned for a time at Cape Town. In
1882, he was allowed to visit England, where he had an audience of Her
Majesty, Queen Victoria. He was subsequently repatriated, but, owing
to the refusal of two or three of the thirteen appointed Chiefs to
recognize him as head of the district assigned him, his position became
untenable. He attacked one of these Chiefs, Zibebu, who, retaliating,
forced the ex-King to take refuge in reserved territory south of the
Mhlatuze River, first at Nkandhla, then at Eshowe. Cetshwayo died at
the latter place on the 8th February, 1884. His body was conveyed by
his people to the vicinity of the Nkandhla forests and there interred.
Of this grave and forests a good deal will be heard later.
The disturbances that had broken out between Zibebu and the royal
family continued down to the middle of 1888, by which time Dinuzulu,
eldest son of Cetshwayo and bearer of his father's tattered mantle, had
reached his majority.[15]
As the part played by Dinuzulu both before and during the Rebellion was
of the greatest importance, it would be as well to include here, by
way of introduction to what has to follow, a somewhat fuller notice of
his antecedents. He was born about the year 1868. As Zulus are nothing
if not expressive in the selection of names, so, in devising one for
his eldest son, Cetshwayo gave evidence of the well-known national
characteristic. Dinuzulu means "_one who is a source of worry to the
Zulus_."
Under Sir Garnet Wolseley's settlement, Ndabuko, Dinuzulu's uncle, and,
next to Cetshwayo, the man of greatest rank and influence in Zululand,
was placed under one of the thirteen "kinglets," Zibebu, a blood
relation of the King. During Cetshwayo's imprisonment, Ndabuko became
Dinuzulu's guardian. As the result of endeavours by this prince to
secure the return of Cetshwayo, friction arose between him and Zibebu.
It was not long before civil war broke out between the royalist party
and that of Zibebu. Ndabuko's cause became the cause of Dinuzulu. The
British Government had, in the meantime, definitely refused to take
over the government of the country.
In 1883, when, at Ulundi, Cetshwayo was surprised and defeated by
Zibebu, Dinuzulu was saved by a faithful adherent Sitshitshili, who
will be referred to later.
On the death of Cetshwayo, the heads of the nation nominated Dinuzulu
as successor.[16] The claim of his younger brother, Manzolwandhle,[17]
to the heirship has, however, always been regarded by the majority of
Zulus as superior to his own.
Dinuzulu soon found it necessary to seek the assistance of the Boers
against Zibebu and Hamu (another of the "kinglets" and an uncle of
Dinuzulu). The latter (Dinuzulu) called in the support of Boers of
the Transvaal, who, on the 21st May, 1884, went through the farce
of "crowning" the prince "King of the Zulus," thereby recalling
the occasion on which, forty years before, they had installed his
grandfather as Paramount Chief. On the 5th June following, Dinuzulu's
adherents, aided by 600 Boers, attacked and completely routed Zibebu
and his followers at Tshanini.[18] The Boers, for their moral
assistance--hardly more than moral--induced the young "King" to sign
a document ceding them a large tract of north-eastern Zululand,
extending down to the sea at St. Lucia Bay. This they cut up into farms
and created the "New Republic," afterwards the Vryheid district of
the Transvaal. In Sir A. Havelock's settlement with the Boers, this
Republic was recognized by Britain, its limitations were defined, and a
large portion of country alleged to have been ceded was recovered for
the Zulus, including all the coast land round St. Lucia Bay.
In May, 1887, the Imperial Government assumed full control of the
affairs of Zululand, the Governor's proclamation of formal annexation
being read at Eshowe in the presence of some 15,000 Zulus.
Other disturbances arose between Dinuzulu and Zibebu in 1887-8, but as
the country had been formally annexed by the Imperial Government, and
as it appeared Dinuzulu and his two uncles, Ndabuko and Tshingana, had
deliberately contravened the law, of whose provisions they were fully
aware, they were arrested on a charge of public violence. Their trial
took place at Eshowe before a specially-constituted court, when all
three were convicted and sentenced to ten, fifteen and twelve years'
imprisonment, respectively. Early in 1889, they were deported to St.
Helena. There they remained until the end of 1897, when they were taken
back to Zululand. Their return followed immediately upon the annexation
of Zululand to Natal, when, of course, the Imperial Government ceased
to directly control the affairs of the former territory. The terms of
Dinuzulu's repatriation will call for particular notice in a later
chapter.
In the Act of Annexation[19] it was provided that "until other
provisions shall have been made ... with the approval of Her Majesty,
no grants or alienation of Crown Lands ... shall be made, nor till
then shall the Natives be disturbed in the use and occupation of any
lands occupied or used by them at the time of the taking effect of
this Act." In 1902, a Commission was appointed for the purpose of
delimiting tracts of country to be reserved for occupation of the
Natives, on the one hand, and those for immediate and future European
occupation, on the other. About seven-twelfths of the country (whose
total acreage is 6,695,000), or approximately 3,887,000 acres, divided
into twenty-one separate locations, were reserved for the exclusive
occupation of the Natives, whose numbers, at that time, fell just short
of 200,000. Much of this land, however, was and still is unsuitable for
human habitation, either because of its being too arid and stony for
cultivation, of malarial fever being prevalent therein, or of its being
infested with the tsetse fly. The total area set apart for European
occupation was 2,808,000 acres. The recommendations of the Commission
received the approval of the Imperial Government, whereupon the blocks
set apart for Europeans were surveyed into farms not exceeding 500
acres apiece, mainly on the coast belt south of the Mhlatuze River, and
disposed of to sugar planters. Similarly reserved lands in other parts
were not so readily taken up. This opening of the door on a large scale
to European settlers undoubtedly went a long way towards unsettling the
people.
[Illustration:
_Elliot and Fry,
London, W._
_W.B. Sherwood,
Pietermaritzburg._
HON. C.J. SMYTHE,
Prime Minister and Colonial Secretary.
HON. SIR THOMAS WATT, K.C.M.G.,
Minister of Justice and Defence.
HON. T.F. CARTER, K.C.,
Attorney General, 1907-10.
HON. H.D. WINTER,
Minister for Native Affairs.]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 2: Natal was discovered by a Portuguese navigator, Vasco da
Gama, when engaged in his quest for a sea-route to India, on Christmas
Day, 1497. But little more was heard of the country until Farewell and
Fynn, having proceeded in 1823 as far as St. Lucia Bay and Delagoa Bay
respectively, returned to Cape Town and organized the party referred to
in the text.]
[Footnote 3: The notorious Zulu King Tshaka's catastrophic reign
began about 1814. Great tribes were, at quick intervals between then
and 1820, driven headlong into Natal, only to sweep the peaceful
inhabitants of the land away with them into the Cape Colony and
elsewhere. Three or four of these appalling exoduses, taking place by
no means only on the south-west boundary of Zululand, soon denuded
Natal, and other adjacent territories, of the greater portion of their
aboriginal population. The country was transformed into a howling
wilderness, overrun with lions, hyænas, and wolves; and any stray
wight, who had succeeded in evading the Zulu fury and was eking out an
existence on wild-roots or shell-fish, was hunted by members of his own
species, so far de-humanized, within half-a-dozen years, as to have
become converted into expert and voracious cannibals.]
[Footnote 4: It was after this kraal that Mzilikazi, "the lion of the
North," named his own principal kraal--a name subsequently adopted
by the Chartered Company of Rhodesia for the already well-known town
established on the site of the kraal.]
[Footnote 5: Bird, _Annals of Natal,_ 194.]
[Footnote 6: _Ibid._ i. 326.]
[Footnote 7: Much of the earlier history of the Colony will be found
in the following works: N. Isaacs, _Travels and Adventures in Eastern
Africa_, 2 vols. London, 1836; Capt. Allen F. Gardiner, _A Journey to
the Zoolu Country_, London, 1836; H.F. Fynn, _Papers_, printed in part
on pp. 60-124, vol. i. Bird's _Annals of Natal_, Pietermaritzburg, 1888.
Up to the day of his death, Fynn, the friend of Isaacs and the source
from which the latter drew much of the information in the work above
quoted, was the final authority on all matters appertaining to the
Natives of South-East Africa. He, fortunately, left a number of
valuable manuscripts. These are being prepared for the press by the
author. They include a large quantity of matter connected with early
Zulu history, customs and habits hitherto unpublished.]
[Footnote 8: Pietermaritzburg, the capital of Natal, was laid off by
them.]
[Footnote 9: Among these were the _Natal Frontier Guards_, _Weenen
Yeomanry_, _Victoria Mounted Rifles_, _Alexandra Mounted Rifles_,
_Natal Hussars_, _Royal Durban Rifles_, Natal Carbineers, Natal Mounted
Rifles, Border Mounted Rifles, Natal Field Artillery, Durban Light
Infantry, Natal Royal Rifles, also the Natal Mounted Police and _Natal
Native Police_. (The corps in italics have either ceased to exist
or been merged in those printed in ordinary type.) The last-named
corps, organized in 1848, and about 150 strong, was disbanded by the
Government in 1854, without any reasons being given as to why such
action had become necessary. To this day, Natives wonder what the
reasons could have been. Mr. (later, Sir) Theophilus Shepstone, was its
captain-in-chief.]
[Footnote 10: Often wrongly spelt "laagers." See Glossary.]
[Footnote 11: Known as Bushman's Pass.]
[Footnote 12: It was this officer who, on 22nd January, 1879, was
Colonel in command when the Imperial and Colonial troops suffered their
reverse at Isandhlwana.]