The New York herald., 1879-03-19

vance The long, black lines the English positions Of
RErAK1Na THE CAMP.
About four o'clock in the afternoon horseman.
who proved to be Commandant Lonsdale, met Lord
Chelmsford and impaired the first of the terri
BILE fight at Isandula The return, already begun,
was FASTENED Their entrance to the former camp at
night is thus described by an eye-witness:-"We
hoped that the statements had been exaggerated and
that the British troors had simply fallen back on
on on tn the part Of tho enemy. It was half past four
when the rest of the troops did come up. and
then the advance made of the whole
force. Upon coming within mile. which
brought us close under the rise whore
the camp had been placed we could see by the
shadows against the horizon from the top the neck
of land where our road ran back to the Bashee va1
lev, and to the Drift, that the enemy had
as to place sort of barrier against our only road
back. and from behind this could hear the hoarse
assegas against their shields. A halt made ana
| four rounds of shrapnel poured into the bar
y as a orSer to
advance ahead. and take at all risks, the kopje on
the left Of the ridge. which. when DONE would en-
those on the ridge and also guard our flank As tho
gallant Major moved off in the dark on this errand
Of almost certain death, heard him shout out NO
| firing. boys; give them the colo steel little
| further on we began to tumble over dead bodies
lying in every direction, and in some places
men were found lying thick, as though they had
fought until every cartridge was gone and had then
dred yards of the top of the ridge with the groesquo
and large shadow Of the Isandhiwana Mountain in
front OF us. showing clearly against the sky in the
evening light. we heard ringing British cheer
ascend from hundreds Of throsts, and then knew
up the kopje without resistance and that the enemy
had retired still further between us and Rorke's
| Drift.
DEATH AND DEsoI.Ar1oS.
"when we had all ascended on to the ridge it was
between eight and nine O'Clock. and it was decided to
bvouac where We were and move on at daylight. In
morning
we knew we were followed by a large body, and
might equally well be attacked from the front.
Dreadful to all those fearful hours which fol-
lowed, when all of had to wait with what
patience we could for day break, knowing that we
were standing and lying among the bodies
of our own comrades. though how many we little
knew. Then many vow Of vengeance was breathed
in the stiffness Of the night and many and deep
the sobs which came from the breasts of those
who, may be. never sobbed before ut discovering
even i'll the dim morning light the bodies of dear
friends brutaly massacred stripped of all clothing
disembowced and in some cases with their heads
of. How that night passed fancy few of us know.
For my part was both reckless and despar>
ing-reckless at the chance Of falling in with tho
enemy, and despairing because Of tho sad
awakening felt sure should have in the morning.
During the night fires constantly burning on
all the adjoining hills and bright blaze in par
ticular rvetted attention all night as it seemed
to be Rorkes Drift and we again feared the
safety of those within that small place. knowing
we were utterly helpless to aid them in any way
light 1 arose. for had been lying down close
to the General and his staff. and went and had
affairs and recognize any bodies that could. did
this with srcng feeling OF duty upon me. as other
many battle fields in Europe and elsewhere and al
though on some have seen thousands lying where
then saw tens, do not think such
sickenng sight in all my life.''
WHAT COURAGE MAY ACHIEVE.
Tho most extraordinary incident connected with
the massacre was the narrow escape OF Commandant
Lonsdale. who notified Lord Chelmsford. Com
mandant Lonsdale was quietly returning TO camp
istic OF tired traveller. He had crossed the small
to the south ~ Of the ea when his
near to him, and on looking up hc saw black
man who had evidently just fired. The real
merely thought IL ono of his contingent
carelessly firing off his rifle. and pursued his way.
To some extent the incident fortunately to
have woke him up, and. although he saw what
seemed to be redcoats sitting in groups in and
around the tents he kept his eyes open, and. when
great black Zulu como out of one with bloody
asscgai in his hand. This made him look about him
more closely and no saw that black men and black men
only the wcarers of rcd The truth
flashed upon him; he could read the scowl OF
hatred upon every face but his sefposscssion does
not seem TO have failed him, for quietly turning
his pony round no galloped of before the enemy
were aware OF his intention; A hundred and NIFTY
but by the mercy of Providence he escaped and was
thus enabled to warn the General and his life
not such warning been given Lord Chelmsford, ac-
conpnnied by his STAFF and the TROOPS with him.
WouM nave Wukeu WltnOut suspicion INTO tnc skltul
trap thus laid. aud in such circumstances few would
have escaped.
THE ZULU ARMY.
correspondent of the Cologne Gazette. who has
lived for upward OF score of years in the Orange
Free state from whence he has returned to Germany
as late as 1874 conradicts the suggestion that the
zulus may be Indebted to German officers and men
OF the Foreign Legion for their military accomplish
ments. Universal obligatory service and thorough
military training. he says, care OF much older
date In Zululand than In Prussia. Time out
Of mind every Zulu has been regarded from the
day Of his birth to tho very OF his life the
prol0rty OF his king and has been compelled by the
latter from tho days OF tender boyhood 10 in
his appointed battalion. rhe Zuius were dreaded
foes to the white man. and accounted formidable
warriors as long ago as 1880. white man has
been known to serve in their ranks. In 1898, when
the Dutch occupied Natal the zulus opposed
thcin, and employed the very same tactics
which now make them formidable to the English.
They rushed upon their foes III what seemed
dense. disordcred mass and when near the enemy
they suddenly deployed ON both sides, forming u
horseshoe hrst and eventually ring, encircling
the hostile force which quite unprepared for an
attack oil sides. There be no doubt, SAYS the
old settler, that the Zulus born of war and
excellent material for an army a military or
ganizcr might wish for. but for all that they
would not have become such dangerous
foes as they had not tho English
themselves supplied them with arms OF pre-
cision. Formerly the law of the colony was that
whoever sold firearms or ammunition to u black was
ft~1xf A