The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-08-08 00:00:00

A VISIT TO THE PRINCE IMPERIAL S

GRAVE.

A correspondent writes to the Natal Mercury from
St. Augustine's, Rorke's Drift: It is impossible not
to be deeply impressed by a visit to such a place as
the spot where the Prince Imperial was killed, and if
you think they would be of any interest I send you a
few brief impressions of the spot. The first thing
that strikes one is the extreme beauty and order of
the little enclosure. It looks like a little flower
garden with sloping banks on each side. It was
really, it seems originally a dry donga with dark black
mud, and the bottom is filled with the enclosure
and cross, whereas the sloping sides of the donga
are covered with the pretty green cypresses and
pines now, perhaps, six feet high. The country
round is fearfully plain, and near the place where
the Prince was killed little brogen dongas abound.
But the eye rests on the pretty arrangement in the
planted enclosure with pleasure. There is first a
little square, about lOft, long and Bft. broad, enclosed
with beautiful white quartz stones brought from
Emblungwane-hill close by. It looks like a little
marble wall a foot high. Then the white stone cross,
put up by Queen Victoria, stands on a pedestal, set
up on some of the same large whitish stones. A long
inscription says how it was put up by Queen Victoria
to the memory of the Prince Napoleon, who was
killed here, with his face to the foe. There is also in
the enclosure a long flat raised altar tomb, with a
cross worked upon it in stones, and at the foot of this
is a little crucifix, with an inscription in French.
Higher up in the enclosed piece of ground is
the site of another grave, with a recum-
bent cross, I suppose, to the memory of
the soldier who was killed at the same time
(Trooper Rogers, I think, of Bettington's Horse)
but no name is to be seen. A native was also killed
at the same time. The trees looks so nice and green,
and there are several little beds made with stone
edgings in which are planted hydrangeas, lilies, and
little shrubs. But care and keeping in order are
evident everywhere. There is a ltttle wooden cross
fast decaying, which records that it was put up to
mark the spot by the Royal Scots Fusiliers. The
little place looks very pretty, and outside are all the
dry, long grass and the ugly dongas. One donga
with water runs close to the stone steps which lead
into the cemetery, and an embankment has
just been put up to prevent the water from
washing away the foundations of the wall which
runs all round the enclosure, and on the top
of which are planted aloes. About 50 yards off
is the mealie garden (the kraal is now gone) where
the prince rested. He seems to have been getting
on foot when he was killed, his horse having
oken from him. The river Ityotyozi is about 100
6rds below the garden. The ground slopes to the
ver, so people coming up from it could not be seen
'rough the long grass. The crest of the hill on the
;her
.side of the river, where the Zulus were first
)en, is about a quarter of a mile off, but they could
take circuitous hidden approach. The place is
ur hours' ride from Rorke's Drift, or more, and is
a desolate part of the country.

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iLandlady (to lodger) : "Be_ - , sir, did I un-
erstand that you was a doctor of music ? " Lodger:
I am, ma'am. Why?" Landlady : "Well, sir, my
Billy 'ay p jut .pjn gpd broke kijs, congerthia, and I.
thivat as 'owl should iv glad to put a good job in Yer
way."
"I've got an idea in my head," exclaimed a young
man, entering a dry goods store; whereupon one of
the clerks said, "You had better get it out at once, or
it will be fearful lonesome and companionlos,"

PMIM