The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-31 00:00:00

THE ZULU KAFFIRS.

We have been favoured with a copy of the fol-
lowing letter from D'Urban, in South Africa, dated
the 15th December, and giving a more particular
narrative than has yet appeared of the ferocious
warfare among the Zulu Kaffirs near Port Natal :
"The Zulu tribes are now in a state of bloody
revolution, and frightful scenes are enacted amongst
them. Panda, King of the Zulus, has several
grown up elm, who have been casting covetous
eyes on the inheritance. He is getting old and
very fat, and unfit for war, and has repressed
all the plans of younger men against our Kaffirs.
His immediate predecessors, Daula and D.lngana,
seeing that their kings had always been murdered
by their sons as the latter grew up, determined to
anticipate any danger from that quarter by killing
off their wives and concubines as soon as they were
found pregnant. Panda, finding this course did not
save the last two kings a violent death, yielded in
this respectto the voice of nature, and allowed his
children to live. Such as the kings and the chiefs,
such are the people ; and the acts above described
are only different in their extent and degree from
what is done continually among the Zulus of all
classes.

"Some pressure has been applied to Panda by his
sons, whereby they have attained a division of ter-
ritory, or have been appointed chiefs like others ;
but, being dissatisfied and quarrelling with each
other about the territory assigned them, they ap-
pealed to Panda. He told them to fight it out.
On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Imbulazi, his son or nephew,
with a few of the old chiefs was awaiting the attack
of Cetuwaya, son of Panda. The latter had suc-
ceeded in obtaining adherents from among the old
chiefs to a much larger extent than was expected.
When Cetuwaya's army appeared in sight of Im-
bulazi, the force of the former was so overpower-
ingly superior, that the lattter took to flight at
once. They were stationed about seven miles
from the Tugela, our boundary, and made for the
river. The white young men who had been acting
with Imbulazi's army, were killed in the boa'.
Many were despatched before they reached the
river. Meanwhile a party was formed from
among our people under the eye of our govern-
ment agent stationed near the Tugela. Mr.
Walmsley, son of Sir Joshua Walmsley, M. P., 60
of our HottentA police, and volunteers from the
native assistants of our hunters, agreed to cross the
Tugela armed, under the superintendence of John
Dunn, a young roving blade, and Kaffirinterpreter
to Walwsley, for the purpose of endeavouring to
stop the battle by parley. John Dunn was fired
at, and narrowly escaped being shot. His party
returned to fire a volley, and for some considerable
time their discipline was sufficient to keep back the
confused ranks of the savages. But, at last, they
perceived they were being surrounded, and were
obliged tcr retreat, their arms were thrown away,
and only four or five returned across the Tugela.
John Dunn only escaped by being mounted. The
slaughter of the escaping Kaffirs was then carried
on. A body of about 600 women and girls are
spoken of as advancing into the river until
they were' nearly out of their depth, when they
were assegayed by their ruthless pursuers. The
river was. literally, dyed with blood. Numbers
were drowned. Bodies have Since been washed
up in great numbers along the coast ; we have heard
of them south of us as far as the Illawa (100 miles
from the Tugela), where they gave rise to reports
of a shipwreck. About 3,000 have come into our
district and have been distributed among our
natives. Fears are entertained about the supply
of food for them. Our Kaffirs sympathise with the
defeated, knowing that their fate would be their
own if Cetuwaya could have his will. As soon as
these affairs were reported, Mr. Shepstone, the
secretary for native affairs, repaired to the spot,
and the governor is.now there.
"For us town dwellers there is no danger what-
ever ; for the isolated settlers on the frontiers there
may be some risks, but even theirs is only partial
and uncertain.

"It would save a deal of bloodshed and ultimate
expense if the British Government would send a
military expedition at once, take possession of the
country, setting up. a chief under their protection,
and limit his powers. It. would save much in every
way, and must come in the end. A tower on the
healthy high grounds on the borders of the Delagoa
Bay would form a military depot, and keep the
Zulus in. ord?r." _