Arrival of Sir Garnet Wolseley--Reception at Durban--Changes made by
Wolseley--His plans for the future--Attempt to land at Port Durnford
and its failure--Sir Garnet at St. Paul's--Grand council of Zulu
chiefs--Resignation of General Crealock--His farewell to his troops
at Camp Umlalasi--Fêtes in honour of Lord Chelmsford--Wolseley at
Pietermaritzburg--Disturbances in Pondoland and Transvaal--Wolseley
at Rorke's Drift--McLeod and the Swazis--Their appearance and
habits--Wolseley at Intanjaneni--Surrender of guns by
Mbelebele--Adhesion of various chiefs.
It is now time to turn attention to the movements of the new
Commander-in-chief and Governor. On the 28th of June his Excellency Sir
Garnet Wolseley and his staff landed at Durban from the C.R.M.S.
"Dunkeld." The whole town was that day _en fête_, as the Durbanites like
a sensation, no matter of what nature. At daylight the whole of the
military and naval authorities were astir, and various coloured bunting
began to appear all over the town. Crowds of well-to-do shopkeepers and
farmers went down to the point on horseback, while hundreds went by the
train. All the ships in the harbour and the bluff were gaily decorated,
and the men-of-war, transports, and merchant-vessels were gallantly
dressed in bunting from stem to stern. Sir Garnet brought with him
many of his old staff, and others joined later on. Colonel Pomeroy
Colley arrived by the next Zanzibar steamer, and took up the duties of
chief of the staff, and Captain Lord Gifford joined from his regiment,
the 57th. Sir Garnet Wolseley was not only to be Governor,
Commander-in-chief, and High Commissioner in Natal and the Transvaal,
but also to exercise the functions of the latter office in the countries
to the north and to the east.
The changes ordered by the new Commander-in-chief were numerous and
important. In the first place all military operations against Secocoeni
were to be discontinued. This order gave great dissatisfaction, as
several highly successful patrols had already been made against this
chieftain; and Colonel Lanyon, after great delay and difficulty having
completed his arrangements for the attack, was actually on his way to
the front, when instructions reached him to stop and send his men to
Derby, to protect that part of the border from Zulu raids.
The troops were to be immediately consolidated and reduced, and with
them the expenses of the war.
The landing of the Marines was countermanded, and they were to be sent
back with all possible speed to Simon's Bay; the Natal Carabineers, the
Durban Mounted Rifles, Bettington's Horse, and the Frontier Light Horse
were to be forthwith disbanded: the 1st Division and the Cavalry brigade
were to be broken up; while the forts along the coast were to be
abandoned. The following troops were also named for immediate
embarkation:--1-24th, the 3rd (Buffs), the 99th, the 88th, the 1st
battalion 13th, and two batteries of artillery, to proceed to England;
the 17th Lancers to go on to India; Ellaby's and Tremlett's batteries
to proceed to St. Helena. Lord Chelmsford, Generals Marshall, Wood, and
Crealock, Colonels Crealock, Downe, Dawney, and Buller, Captains Buller,
Molyneux, Frere, Milne, Grenfell, Beresford, and Reilly were going home,
either by order or at their own request. Indeed almost the only officer
of high position who elected, or was selected, to remain was General
Clifford, who still retained his post of Inspector-General of the lines
of communication.
Sir Garnet's plan of operations for the future was as follows: a
military post at Durnford with 400 men; another at St. Paul's, with a
brigade; and a third at Intanjaneni with 400 men; a regiment to remain
on the Umlatoosi, and a battalion of the Native Contingent to guard the
line of the Tugela. Colonel Baker Russell was to start at once with a
flying column from St. Paul's and co-operate with Oham in the west.
Colonel George Villiers was to proceed to join Oham and organize various
bodies of burghers, Natal natives, and Zulus, to hem in Cetywayo in that
direction, whilst McLeod (late 74th Regiment) was to raise, equip, and
command 5000 warriors of the Amaswazis, and, if necessary, lead them
right into Zululand. Colonel Clarke (57th) meanwhile was to march
straight on Ulundi, there to await Sir Garnet's arrival, with a force
consisting of the 57th, 60th, five companies of the 80th, two troops of
Lonsdale's Horse, one battalion of the Natal Native Contingent, and some
mounted natives under the chiefs Jemptse and Mafionge, together with a
battery of Gatlings and the Natal Pioneers. Meanwhile Sir Garnet had
convened a great council of Zulu chieftains to be held at St. Paul's,
July 19th, to arrive if possible at some definite arrangement for the
temporary government of the country. Such were the main features of the
new commander's programme, and though severe strictures were at first
passed thereupon by the majority of the colonists and old soldiers
experienced in Kaffir warfare, time proved that his calculations were
just and well-founded.
Leaving Durban on the 2nd of July, Sir Garnet and staff embarked on
board her Majesty's ship "Shah," and proceeded to Durnford, where
several attempts to land were made, but without success. On the morning
of the 3rd, the steam-tug "Koodoo" came alongside, and Sir Garnet and
his staff, including the two Colonels Russell, Captains Buchanan,
Maurice, Braithwaite, and Baynes, Dr. Russell, and Mr. Herbert (private
secretary), were with great difficulty and no little risk embarked on
her and subsequently transferred to a surf-boat or lighter. While towing
the lighter towards the shore the hawser broke, but most fortunately a
sail was hoisted at once, and the boat, getting clear of the breakers,
was again taken in tow by the "Koodoo." After several ineffectual
attempts to get the lighter made fast to the warp, the recall was fired
from the "Shah," and Sir Garnet returned to the man-of-war. As the day
wore on the surf became worse, and towards evening Captain Bradshaw,
commanding the "Shah," deemed it no longer safe to remain at anchor off
the bar. Sir Garnet therefore returned to Durban, and hastening on
overland _viâ_ Forts Chelmsford, Pearson, and Crealock, reached the camp
of the 1st Division at Richard's Cove, Port Durnford, on July 6th.
On the 14th an advance column, consisting of Buller's Light Horse about
100, two guns, the 57th Regiment, the whole under Colonel B. Russell,
C.B., left camp and marched in the direction of St. Paul's, as far as
the Umlatoosi, where they entrenched themselves on the right bank, the
cavalry and Dunn's scouts forming an advanced guard on the left. This
position commands a path about ten miles from the mouth of the river,
and the site is very picturesque, overlooking the valley to the
north-west. His Excellency and headquarter staff accompanied the column,
and the next morning pushed on to St. Paul's with an escort of cavalry,
where were the headquarters of the 2nd Division. A parade of the troops,
including the 17th Lancers and some 500 irregular cavalry--the
celebrated Buller's Horse--was held, and the General, after taking leave
of Lord Chelmsford, Brigadier General Wood, Colonel Buller, who with
their staffs were leaving for England, returned to the camp on the
Umlatoosi. It has been already said that the 19th was fixed by Sir
Garnet Wolseley for the meeting or durbar of the principal chiefs, all
of whom were expected to attend. By noon on that day the camp presented
a curious sight. Outside the General's tent a guard of honour, with the
Queen's colours, was drawn up, while a large space was railed off for
the reception of Zulu visitors, who came winding in bands over the
slopes of the neighbouring hills from an early hour in the morning. As
each deputation from its respective tribe came into camp, preceded by
its principal rulers, it was formed up in a sort of column, sixteen or
eighteen feet deep, in the space set apart for the visitors. The
gathering was a numerous one, upwards of 250 chiefs and their followers
having attended, and evidently considering the occasion as one of great
importance, as each man was attired in his most gorgeous manner. The
enclosure was at the same time council-chamber and reception-hall, and
although no seats were required, skins, mats, and canvas were put down
for the principal chiefs to sit upon. Some of the chiefs had a covering
of cow's tails and other skins round the waist, while broad rings of
copper were worn round the arms and ankles of others. Plumes of feathers
adorned the heads of the principal men, and hanging behind, somewhat
after the fashion of a Hungarian pelisse, each warrior wore a panther or
other similar skin. The array of dusky savages looked fairly imposing,
although none of them were armed save with the knobkerrie of place,
which as they squatted was laid methodically in front of each man. Upon
the hills in the distance were a number of boys and women who had
accompanied the chiefs, but who preferred to remain outside spectators
of the conference. The enclosure was marked out by branches of the
mimosa, cut in convenient lengths, and forming a sort of palisade, which
kept the crowd from intruding. When all were reported present, Sir
Garnet and his staff, accompanied by Mr. Fynny, border agent, came out
of his tent, and the guard having presented arms, the proceedings
commenced. The two principal chiefs were the king's brothers,
Dabulamanzi and Magwendi, who both replied to Sir Garnet's speech.
Dabulamanzi was a fine-looking man of large size, apparently in the full
vigour of his age, and of great muscular development, presenting in this
regard a striking contrast to his brother Oham, who was simply a large
fat man. There was an air of considerable thought and command in his
face, and, unlike the other chiefs, who wore their hair closely cropped,
except with a black band round the temples, his hair was thrown back and
his broad forehead was encircled with a fillet of ostrich feathers
terminating with a single plume behind. Heavy rings of highly polished
copper spanned the thick part of the arms of Magwendi, a much shorter
and more common-looking man, and whose neck was adorned with a necklace
formed of monkey's teeth and small shells. Both these chiefs held in
their right hands the same kind of short stick carried by their
warriors, while their left hands rested on their naked knees. Mr. Fynny,
the well-known border agent, who was considered to know almost as much
about Zululand and the Zulus as Mr. John Dunn, and that is saying much,
performed the duties of interpreter with remarkable skill and fluency,
translating Sir Garnet's speech, sentence by sentence, as it was
uttered, with due emphasis and point. Sir Garnet Wolseley spoke as
nearly as possible to the following effect: "I am very pleased to
welcome you to my camp, because your coming in answer to my invitation
shows you are as anxious for peace as I am myself, and as is the great
Queen in whose name I now speak. We came to make war with Cetywayo, not
with the Zulu people, and to put an end to his cruelties and his
military system, which with his marriage laws made life and property
unsafe in your land. We want peace with the Zulus, and that they shall
be at peace with our people in Natal. We have beaten the king in open
fight and burnt his kraal, so that he is now a fugitive and shall never
more reign in Zululand. We might now take all Zululand, but we do not
want any of it, and we wish that all of you should have your property
and land. I rode to St. Paul's the other day, and found all the people
on the way living quietly in their own kraals, and with their cattle in
them. All may do the same, but all must first give up their arms and the
king's cattle in token of their submission. The old laws of Zululand
shall be restored, and you shall be ruled by your own chiefs, whom you
all know. I shall divide the kingdom into four or five districts, and
all men shall be free to come and go, to work, to marry, and to become
rich. The great Queen, who sends me, wishes the Zulus should be happy,
but those who continue to bear arms, and will not submit, must be given
up. On the north the Swazis and the Amatongas are only kept by my orders
from invading Zululand, while Oham and his soldiers are moving upon the
west. I am going myself to Ulundi on the 10th, where I shall tell the
Zulu people my arrangements for the future government of the country."
This address was listened to with great attention, and with the most
respectful silence, and several of the chiefs replied, one in particular
making the naive and rather sarcastic remark that he and his friends
could not see what fault Cetywayo had committed, but as the English
chiefs had seen it they were satisfied. Dabulamanzi did not speak,
except to Magwendi, who rose and complained that his cattle had been
taken from him, and that some of them had been sent in as belonging to
the king. Redress was at once promised by Sir Garnet. The meeting then
broke up, the chieftains undertaking to meet Sir Garnet again at Ulundi
on August 10th, to arrive at a final settlement of affairs.
It has been before mentioned that General Crealock had determined to
resign his command of the 1st Division; it was in pursuance of this
resolution that he ordered a general parade on July 21st, on which
occasion he made a short but appropriate speech to his men.
There were on parade the Buffs, 60th Rifles, 91st, the naval brigade of
the "Boadicea," one company of Marines, two troops of Lonsdale's Horse,
one troop of Natal Horse, and a battery of 7-pounders. This little army
was drawn up on the usual parade-ground, not far from the river, and in
the midst of a scene of the greatest natural beauty. The banks of the
stream are thickly wooded, and the valley is the resort of large species
of game. Crocodiles frequent the river, and make it dangerous to bathe.
Thick, thorny underwood, mingled with tall reeds and date-palms, grow
close down to the waters, which reflect the tall green trees that
overarch above. Trees, with branches bearing bright green leaves and
yellow fragile flowers, drooped nearly to the ground around the plain.
Pre-eminent in splendour shone out the brilliant _combretta_, whose
masses of bloom gleamed like torches amidst the dark green of the
thickets, whilst the golden sheen of the fruit intensified the marked
contrast of the tints. At the drinking-place used for the horses the
water flowed in streamlets over the rocks and along a long red sandbank.
A ledge of granite forms a rugged barrier eight or ten feet high across
the river, and down the hollows of this the clear waters rush and ripple
in rills, cascades, and rapids, bubbling and eddying among the great
masses of rock below, in many of which, like those of the Zambesi, great
holes are worn by stones which during the flood perhaps had settled in
small hollows. Dark lines of trees border the river on the right, and on
the left there is a fine grove of baobabs with large dark green leaves
and wide-spreading branches. Crossing a sandstone hill with a spur
stretching away to the eastward, and adorned with some splendid
specimens of the encephalartos, or Kaffir bread, and then descending
into the valley of the Umlalasi, one comes to sandstone and gneiss,
rising in cliffs of 600 feet on the south of the river, but sloping away
gradually on the north. The banks are covered with verdant and
golden-blossomed acacias, some of them with yellow bark and the sweet
gum, which is said to indicate the presence of the tsetse fly. Away to
the north are to be seen groves of palm and mimosas, with stems forty
feet to the lower branches. Far away beyond the plain can be seen the
purple outlines of the great Lebombo range of mountains. These are to
the east of the Drakenberg, and intervene between it and the sea.
Stretching northward from the Pongolo river, this range crosses the
Oliphant and touches the Limpopo. Its highest elevation is about 2150
feet high, and at the point at which the Umvolosi passes through the
range to Delagoa Bay there is a lofty peak which reaches to 1900 feet,
the river bed being there only 300 feet above sea level. Further north
the range declines, and is cut through by the Pongolo and the Usuta,
tributaries of the Maputa; also by the Umvolosi, the Umcomazi, the
Sabia, and the Oliphant, all of which run into the Indian Ocean. Such
were the features of the landscape, and such was the background to this
farewell parade.
After the division had wheeled into line a very creditable march past
was performed, and the troops then wheeled into a square, and were
addressed by General Crealock, who told them that, in obedience to
orders received from Sir Garnet Wolseley, the column was to be broken up
and dispersed. The General said that he took this opportunity, before
separating, to thank all hands for their good conduct and constant hard
work, carried on without a murmur and in the midst of many difficulties.
The task allotted to the 1st Division was to establish a series of posts
along the coast of Zululand with an advanced depôt of supplies, to open
a base of supplies at Port Durnford, from which to feed a force
operating against Ulundi, and finally to destroy the military kraals and
clear the district of Zulus. All these instructions were fully carried
out by the 1st Division by the 5th of July; and the General, in wishing
them a hearty good-bye and success and prosperity, thanked all for the
good conduct and zeal which enabled him to do so much.
Lord Chelmsford, who was now on his way home to England, received most
enthusiastic receptions at Maritzburg, Durban, and Capetown. The banquet
given in his honour at Pietermaritzburg was, perhaps, the most brilliant
affair of the kind ever achieved in the colony, but there were those who
considered the ball in Durban as a still greater, for there were more
ladies and officers present who had come long distances to assist at the
festivity. Sir Garnet Wolseley and the Lieutenant Governor, Sir Evelyn
Wood, and his _Fidus Achates_, Colonel Buller, Major-General Clifford,
and all the fighting and dancing men within a hundred miles of the place
responded to the call. Durban never before saw such a display of "rank,
beauty, and fashion." All the belles of Natal were there to welcome the
winner of Ulundi, and to sympathize with him in his efforts, under
adverse criticisms and untoward fortune, to do his duty as a soldier of
our Queen. The general feeling of the colony may be gathered from the
mayor's speech, who, in proposing his lordship's health, said that he
felt doubly proud on the occasion, as he did not speak alone for
himself, but in the name and with the voice of all Natal. Against
difficulties which only colonial experience could realize, and against
bitter and most vituperative criticism, Lord Chelmsford had worked
steadily and patiently until he accomplished the object he was sent to
perform. The General, in reply, expressed in a soldierlike and
impressive manner his deep sense of the kind feelings expressed by the
mayor, and acknowledged that the reception accorded to him had quite
overwhelmed him. But in giving his acknowledgments and thanks, his
lordship made a happy allusion to the devotion and zeal of those who
commanded and fought under him; and when he came to the mention of
Evelyn Wood and Redvers Buller--two names which, he said, represented
all that a soldier could show in loyalty and efficiency--his modest
eulogium upon these, "his right hand and left hand supports during the
war," was perhaps the most well received and telling point of his
address. That Wood's services were appreciated by the colonists may be
gathered from the fact that he was most warmly solicited by Mr. Gordon
Sprigg, the Premier, to accept the appointment of Commandant-General of
the Colonial Forces; and this request was made by the almost unanimous
wish of the whole ministry. Sir Evelyn, however, did not feel at liberty
to accept till he had consulted with the authorities at home.
On August 5th, Lord Chelmsford, Sir Evelyn Wood, Colonel Crealock,
Colonel Buller, Major Grenfell, Captain Molyneux, and Captain Buller,
embarked on board the Union steamship "German," and sailed for England,
where they arrived safely and were received with the honours they had so
worthily deserved.
After the meeting of chiefs on the 19th, at the camp on the Umlatoosi,
Sir Garnet Wolseley returned to Pietermaritzburg. Here he was engaged in
arranging matters of detail until July 29th. Disturbances in Pondoland
and the Transvaal also now claimed his attention. In the former the
Pondos had attacked the Xesibes, a tribe in alliance with England and
under British protection. Hither Lieutenant-Colonel Bayley, with a
detachment of Cape Mounted Rifles, was despatched from Butterworth, and
soon succeeded in putting an end to this trouble. In the Transvaal the
Boers were agitating for a repeal of the union, and threatening to
assert their independence by force of arms. To render matters secure in
this quarter Sir Garnet sent the headquarters of the King's Dragoon
Guards, under Colonel Alexander, to Pretoria. On the 30th the Commander
and his staff moved to Greytown and thence on, with a small escort, to
the temporary camp at Umsingu. Travelling herefrom with all speed he
reached Rorke's Drift early the following morning (August 3rd).
Despatches were waiting here for the Commander-in-chief, and determined
the next week's movements. Cetywayo was still reported in a kraal in the
Ngome, while letters were at hand from Villiers giving anything but a
flattering account of his friend Oham and his promised Burgher and
native levies. M'Leod also wrote to point out the difficulties under
which he was labouring with his Swazis, and asking for some European
troops to be sent to him to keep them under control. Villiers was
concentrating his heterogeneous gathering of levies at Luneberg, and
hoped to be ready on or by the 6th; while M'Leod suggested that he
should merely guard the frontier to prevent Cetywayo's escape, and not
tempt his savages with the sight of their enemy's kraals or cattle; for
to allow them to cross the border would be, he wrote, risking murder,
rapine, and all sorts of atrocities, which, if once begun, it would be
impossible to stop.
So little is generally known of the Swazis, that a short description of
their persons and habits may here be acceptable. What are usually called
Swazis are, in reality, somewhat a mongrel race, being a cross between
the Zulu and the old race of Swaziland. The Swazis living along the
borders of the Wakkerstroom, until late owed allegiance to Cetywayo, and
some of them indeed had fought for him, notably Manyoyaba, a chief
paramount in the Abakalusian district. But quarrels arose between the
two races and they became most bitter foes; indeed once the Swazis were
near extermination at the hands of the Zulus.
The whole tribe possess characteristically broad heads with thick hair,
which would be as frizzly as that of a negro were it not carefully
dressed in the Zulu fashion with plaster of grease and red clay. Their
eyes, almond-shaped and somewhat sloping, are shaded with thick,
sharply-defined brows, and are of remarkable size and fulness. The wide
space between them testifies to the unusual width of the skull, and
contributes a mingled expression of animal ferocity, warlike resolution,
and, strange to say, ingenuous candour. A flat, square nose, a mouth of
about the same width as the nose, with very thick lips; a round chin,
and full, plump cheeks complete the countenance which may be described
as circular in its general contour. The bodies of the Swazis are
generally inclined, like those of the Zulus, to be fat, but they are
seldom wanting in muscular strength. They are fairly well proportioned,
but the upper part of the figure is somewhat long in proportion to the
legs, and this peculiarity gives a strange character to their movements,
although it does not seem any bar to their agility in their war-dances.
Nothing can be more simple than the ordinary headgear of the women. It
would, however, be a matter of some difficulty to find any kind of
plait, tuft, or topknot, which has not been used by the Swazi men. The
hair is usually parted right down the middle; towards the forehead it
branches off so as to leave a kind of triangle, and from the fork which
is thus formed, a tuft is raised and carried back to be fastened behind.
On either side of this tuft the hair is arranged in rolls, like the
ridges and crevices of a melon, while over the temples separate rolls
are gathered up into knots, from which hang more tufts, twisted like a
cord, that fall in bunches round the neck, three or four of the largest
tresses being allowed to go free over the breast and shoulders. A
favourite decoration is formed with the teeth of a dog strung together
under the hair and hanging along the forehead like a fringe. Another
ornament not at all uncommon is worn by some, and this is ivory cut in
imitation of lions' teeth, and arranged in radial fashion round the
breast, the effect of the white substance in contrast with the dark skin
being very striking. The weapons of the Swazis are much the same as
those of the Zulus, but they have more variety in shape and quality of
the assegai. The shields are smaller, and usually woven of stout reeds
and then covered with undressed hide. They use also a heavy kind of
lance which is adapted to the chase of large game.
A favourite amusement is a kind of war-dance, in which a warrior
describes a conflict in which he was once engaged. Thus a chief may be
often seen with his assegais in one hand, his woven shield and
knobkerrie in the other, with his knife in his girdle, and his limbs
encircled by a skin, to which are attached the tails of the wild cat and
other animals. Adorned on his breast and on his forehead by strings of
teeth, the trophies of war or of the chase, his large keen eyes gleaming
from beneath his heavy brow, his white and pointed teeth shining from
between his parted lips, he alternately advances and retires before an
imaginary foe, with a wild yet dramatic grace, which adds life and
reality to the tale he is telling. In describing these people, it is
hard to determine how far they should be deemed a race of hunters or of
agriculturists, the two occupations being apparently equally distributed
between the sexes. The men most assiduously devote themselves to their
hunting, and leave the care of the cattle and the culture of the soil to
be carried on exclusively by the women. Now and then, indeed, the men
bring home fruits, tubers, and funguses from their excursions in the
forests, but practically they do nothing for their families beyond
providing them with game. The agriculture of Swaziland, like that of
Zululand involves but a small amount of labour. The area of the arable
land is certainly limited, but the exuberant productiveness of the soil,
scarcely to be surpassed in any part of the world, makes the cultivation
of the country supremely easy, and provides the people with all they
want. The entire land is, besides, pre-eminently rich in spontaneous
products, animal and vegetable alike, and these conduce to a direct
maintenance in comparative ease of human life. Manioc, sweet potatoes,
yams, are cultivated with little trouble, and all yield good crops.
Plantains are rarely seen. Although the Swazis have a few carefully
prepared dishes, of which they partake on high feasts and festivals, in
a general way they exhibit as little nicety or choice in their diet as
the Amaxosas or the Zulus. They have one dish, however, on which they
pride themselves, and this most palatable mess is composed of the pulp
of fresh maize, ground or pounded while the grain is soft and milky,
cleansed from the bran, and prepared carefully, so that it is not burnt
to the bottom of the pot. The mode of preparation is ingenious. A little
water having been put over the fire, until it is just beginning to boil,
the raw meal, which has previously been rolled into small lumps, is very
gently shaken in, and, having been allowed to simmer for a time, the
whole is finally stirred up together. The acme, however, of all earthly
enjoyments to these people would seem to be meat. "Meat!" is a watchword
that one hears in all their campaigns, and beyond all doubt the alacrity
with which these people responded to M'Leod's appeal was caused by the
anticipations of devouring Cetywayo's cattle. Amongst their other
accomplishments may be mentioned the art they possess of making from
malted eleusine a very palatable species of beer. This drink, which by
the Swazis is prepared from the eleusine, is really capable, from the
skill with which it is manipulated, of laying a very fair claim to be
known as beer. It is quite bright, of a reddish pale brown colour, and
is regularly brewed from the malted grain, without the addition of any
extraneous ingredient. It has, moreover, a pleasant bitter flavour
derived from the dark husks, which, if they were mixed in their natural
condition with the dough, would impart a twang that would be exceedingly
unpalatable. How large is the proportion of beer consumed by the Swazis
may be estimated by simply observing the ordinary manner in which they
store their corn. As a rule there are three granaries allotted to each
dwelling, of which two are made to suffice for the supply which is to
contribute the meal necessary for the household, and the other is
entirely devoted to the grain that has been malted.
On August 4th Sir Garnet Wolseley left Rorke's Drift, and, after
inspecting the several posts _en route_, reached Intanjaneni on the
evening of the 6th. Intanjaneni is admirably situated for a central
rendezvous as well as a depôt of supplies. It is on the left bank of the
Umlatoosi, or Slater's River, a stream which is constantly confounded
by careless geographers with the Umlalazi, which is ten miles further to
the south-west. Hither General Clarke and his column had preceded him;
messengers also had already come in from Umnyama, Cetywayo's prime
minister, from Tyengwayo, who was second in command at Isandhlwana, and
likewise from the headmen Usukame and Umkilebani; all these men said
they would come in if their lives were spared and their property not
confiscated. Many other chiefs were also in correspondence and treaty
with the General, and all had promised to come to Ulundi on the 10th
August.
On the 7th August messengers came from another chief of importance, by
name Mbelebele, whose kraal was situated on the eastern bank of the
Black Umvolosi, about twenty miles N.N.E. of the old kraal at Ondini. A
party was sent, in accordance with his request, to meet him halfway
between his kraal and Fort Victoria, the new post near Ulundi. The
interview, which took place at the foot of the mountain range of the
Lebombo, was short and satisfactory.
Mbelebele brought with him over 200 guns. He also brought information
that Mangondo, another chief whose dwelling is near the Inkankla, would
surrender if assured of safety against the vengeance of the king.
Mbelebele seems to have been a man much trusted by the other chiefs, as
he had been in correspondence with the younger brother of Cetywayo,
Tyami, Usmwelu, Usiteon, and with Sekatewayo, a northern chief, who all
manifested a wish to come in and surrender their arms, cattle, and
ammunition, provided life and safety were assured. The chief, in
speaking of the king, although somewhat reticent on some points, was
certainly not so on others, and stoutly maintained that Cetywayo had
doubled upon his pursuers, and so far from being, as was thought, on his
way westward to Secocoeni, was in all likelihoods heading back towards a
kraal beyond the Lebombo range, called Mussipulo. This information, of
course, was at once sent to Lord Gifford and to Colonel Baker Russell.
Sir Garnet Wolseley's next move was on to Fort Victoria, Ulundi, where
he arrived on August 9th. On the following day he received information
which eventually led to the capture of Cetywayo; but of this we shall
speak hereafter.