The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-06-28 00:00:00

THE ZULU WAR.

ARRIVAL OF A CAPE MAIL.
At daybreak on Tuesday morning, Messrs. Donald
Currie and Co.'s steamer Balmoral Castle entered
Plymouth Sound, having made a rapid palpage of
twenty days and a hail from the Cape, including all
stoppages.
Among her passengers was Sir Theophilus Shepstone
for many years British Administrator in the Trans-
vaal, and Mrs. Shepetone. There were also a con-
siderable number of passengers from Natal, including
Captain Smythe of the native contingent, who was
one of the survivors of Isandlana, and Major and Mrs.
Bennett. The passengers described the consternation
occasioned just before their sailing by the news of the
Prince Imperial's death, which, however, had only,
jest become known. Indeed, in the special supple-
ments of the three Cape papers it is announced in only
half-a-dozen lines, without any details.
Sir Bartle Frere was expected at Cape Town the day
after the Balmoral Castle sailed. It was doubtful
whether the despatches curtail ing his power to negotiate
for peace had followed him to the Transvaal, and if not
he had not received them when the steamer left, but
Sir Theophilus was sure that so far from resenting
the appointment of Sir Garnet Wolseley, Sir Bartle
would receive with great relief anythinglerzening his re-
sponsibility and duty, the Cape Colony being quite
enough for any man to govern, apart from Natal. No
sane man would hazard a iruess as to the probable
duration of the war. It entirely depended on
Cetswayo's endurance and tactics; and those no one
could foresee. If he could be fairly got at the struggle
would be soon over. That Sir Bertle Frere's policy
was right, that the war was neeessary, and that Lord
Chelmsford's difficulties had been immense, were
matters admitted by all who had been really at the
front. The forward movement had well cemnsenced
when they left, and stirring events might any day be
expected, or might be almost indefinitely deferred.
The peace negotiations pessibly were genuine, but
their character could be determined with certainty by
'any experienced persons who saw the envoys.
Sir Theophilus Shepstone stated that the feeling
with regard to the death of the Prince Imperial at
the Cape was very deep indeed, the melancholy occur-
rence having cast a gloom over the whole colony.
There hae been no further details received at the
Colonial Office at Cape Town, than those which
have already been made public. The Cape
Argus says that General Marshall, at the head of
a body of cavalry, went to the spot where the
Prince had been left, and found his body in a state
of nudity, all the clothes having been taken off by the
enemy. Around the Prince's neck was a scapulary
Agnus Dei, or medal of the Virgin Mary, such as is
worn by pious Roman Catholics, but this was left on
the body by the Zulus, who probably took it to be a
charm. Tho Prince was not mutilated, except as far
as the assegai wounds were concerned. One wound
was through one of his eyes. A bier was formed of
lances and blankets, and on it the corpse was conveyed
to camp, where it was buried with military honours."
Commenting on the death of the Prince. the Cape
Times says :—" To be brave, and bold, and fearless
are the qualities of which soldiers are made ; men
possessing those qualities may make empires or may
lose them, and it is such men that France has loved
the most. She is always governed by genius, and the
memory of her great commander, Napoleon 1.. is still
the national pride, although he becamo an Emperor
anel the government is now Republican. The Prince
Inwerial has been the hope of French Imperialism,
and if leanly qualities would have gained for him the
affection of the French people, his occupation of the
Tuileries at no distant date would have been a fact."
Other passengers by the Balmoral Castle confirmed
the view that the war was likely to be a long one, and
an old Natal settler, well ex.seuaintecl with Zuluisnd,
was contident that the new King's kraal was impreg-
nable, the approach being by a defile six miles long.
On board the Balmoral Castle were half a dozen
Zulus, dressed in their native costume, and geemingly
as agile and lithe as monkeys, and thoroughly pleased
with what was going on around them. Colonists said
they were young and under the average size of Zulu
men,

The following aceoent of a reconnoissance in which the
Prince Imperial took part, before the one in which he met
his death, is taken from the Natal Witness, the ecru-
epondent of which was with Brigadier Wood's Flying
Column : "May la.
"I returned this afternoon trout e. three &aye' patrol. in
which little was done, little was seen, and many ware
appointed. The force numbered about i f the Frontier
laght Horse, under Captain D'Arey and Lietitenant 131atne,.
40 of the Basatoc. under Captain Cockerel! and Lieutenants
Henderson and Raw, about 80 of Baker's Horse, the whole
being under the direct command of Colonel Buller.
This active commander was accompanied by the Prince
Imperial, Lord W. Beresford, A. D.C. (who has already made
himself familiar with the cornice)), and Mr. Drummond. We
first went to Conference-hill, where the Tanta of the 94th are
now pitched; and a more uninteresting, bare, and stony spot
to pitch tents on could not be discovered elsewhere outside
the Kalihara. The forts are, it must be said, really gond. They
are firm, square, grim, and fixed. From Conference-kW we
went afterwards to a farmer's house about five mites ng,
and here we bivouacked while our horses fed contentedly
in the mealle fields. At dawn next morning the troops toot
a slightly southerly course, crossing the Blood river arid
passing on to a hill from which one could see Rorke's Drift,
some four miles distant. The country, from Conferenceehill
is open, and a good road might easily be made between the
two camps. We off-saddled at a kraal where the Zulus had
been overnight—in feet, a few of their number bad been
there that morning, but did not wait for us. I saw them
making off up Sirayo's Hill, just opposite, and they
did not stop until they reached the top, when they tout
restart proceedings to call a gathering of the clan. The
own-crier, on a gray horse, gave due notice to all the citizens
living in kraals; and very soon we beheld, from our halting-
, place below, a respectable assembly of Mackskins on the
ridge above. The man on the gray horse acted as seneral as
well as town-crier, and divided his forces judictouely. He
posted his infantry on the left and the cavalry on the right
of the pass. The infantry, I should say, numbered faitY,
while the horsemen could only muster eight. Opposed to
this army was Colonel Butler's Irregular Horse. Some
of the young hands tbought a bloody conflict was
about to be fought out on the hill.eide ; the older hands cal-
culated that the Zulus would ditappear as soon as we moved
upwards, The older hands ware right. When Lieutenant
Raw, who had been sent on ahead with sta of his Basutos,
reached the commit, he found himself in undisputed occupa-
tion of the field. After galloping about from poi.ratt, Point,
the Prince espied aZnlu on a distant koeje and made afterhito,
Off went lieutenant Raw and the six Basutos after the Impa-
tient Prince, and on came Raker's Horse in the wake of the Ifs-
autos. The kopje was reached tl2 time for them to see a few
scared Zulus maeing off across eava.,- try, far dawn on the plains
below. lathe hope that one bullet oat of fifty might find
a billet in a blaca man's body, Baker's Zone opened fire
upon the flying specks beneath. There were he casualties
On our right was leandlans, about us the a &Heys in
which the Zulu army concealed themselves before maiaing
that terrible onslaught on the unsuspecting troops. Awag
on the left rose the fiat-headed adhlazatze. Round the
' ketee of the hill on which we were Colonel Buller noticed
foi.u• large kraals, and at once decided up= burning them.
Baker' Troop and the Frontier Light Horse went away
down tile Dorth-west slope of the mountain, and burnt the
kneel theit,4, while Colonel Buller, with the Busutog, ,tie-
scended on ata poutleeast slope, coming out noon a krael
where the Zulu had been recently engaged in shelling
mealies. When tite ;penes had had their ml these were de-
stroyed, and we proaaasaei to another kraal, where we were
joined by the other aroundad enee. After this we pro.
ceeded homewards. The Ircail4.iv cold, most bitterly so ;
and for those who had no blanliti.s Lk..-,re was no sleep that
ing4t. Ine Prince was among the 1.4.-rirld and coverless
one; and he wandered up teed down oneeceagslately. Next
day nothing occurred. We breakfasted, twe ; we
saw no Zulus, kille.d nothing; met with no ace ii and
got into camp as quiet as you hke. Ttiose wno know 4.49
Zulus say tea patrol bag done greae good in burning the
kraals, as such acts teach the natives that we mean to
thoroughly euppress them. •One thing bat been ascertained,
and that is that there are no Zulus in guy number jn the
north-east corner of Zululand."