Smyrna times., 1879-03-05
Origin Of the Zulu War.

The Westminster Rcc;csc for January
contains some interesting particulars in re
gard to the Zulus and their war against the
British on the frontiers of Natal. The Zulu
King-whose name, by the way, is given as
KatShwayo instead Of Cotywayo-has an
army which cOnfessedly consists Of 10000
men, "drilled in a fashion. well armed, and
provided with efficient artillery" Against
this army Lord Chelmsford, before the late
disaster, had $4,000 men on the frontier,
but of these only 1000 were British troops,
and the 5000 native troops have since been
disbanded, if reports be correct. In addi-
ton to these there was small naval
brigade, but still KatShwayo outnumbered
his opponents ten to one, and these had
besides an extended frontier to defend.
The natives are afraid of the Zuus, and
believe their prowess to be superior to that
of the British. An officer sent to recruit
amongst Basutos was told that he could not
get men from them until Lord Chelmsford
first defeated Katshwayo. The dispute
between the Zulus and the colonial govern
ment grew out of the fact that when the
Transvaal Republic was annexed there was
a piece of territory the title to which was
claimed both by the Dutch and by the Zulu
King. The colonial government submitted
the matter to arbitration, and it was de-
cided that the disputed territory did ac-
tually belong to Katshwayo. Sir Bartle
| Frere, as high commissioner, sent to notify
| the Zulu king OF the award of the commits
sion, but accompanied it with his ultima
tum as Governor of Cape Colony. This
made the surrender Of the disputed terri
tory conditional upon some very positive
chances lin the internal economy of the
Zulu kingdom. Katshwayo was to pay a
fine of 600 head Of cattle, to surrender
| some captives, and to compensate Transvaal
farmers who We're sufferers by his raids
He was also to disband his army, permit all
his young men to get married whenever
they were so inclined, (now they cannot
marry until they have distinguished service
in the army,) suffer the expelled missiona
ries to return to Zululand, permit British
resident to come into his territory with
authority to decide all disputes between
Europeans and Zulus, and to expel nt
European from Zululand without the resi-
dents consent. In short. Sir Blrtle FrerC
required the Zulu monarch to surrender al
the essential elements of his sovereignty
and independence, and to break up entirel,
the military organization by which h,
hoped to maintain these. Katshwayo wa
further required to submit to partial dis
| ulSiLISllb dIu W a lCCllICstIlOIl VI IHt IlOH
tire, and to cede St. Lucia bay to the British
This cession would prevent him from oh
tanning the supplies of arms and ammuni
ton which now make him formidable. @
course Katshwayo valued his independents
too much to submit to any such terms a
: these. He ordered the British to evacuat
] Fort Luneberg, rs being on his territory
and prepared to begin war at once. Th
:. difficulties under which Lord Chelmsfor
=, will labor until he has been substantial
' reinforced are greatly enhanced by the fac
/ of the long frontier which he has to guar;
B he beirg compelled to distribute his meagr
forces so as to defend seven separat
e strategic points widely apart from on
: another. The Zulus, by concentratin
d against any one Of these points, as they di
d against the twenty fourth regiment, and {
they now seem to be doing against Co
}. Pearson, at Ekowe, are able to bring pra
G tically an overwhelming force to bear upo
the British posts, and so theaten to destrC
them in detail. But it is not probable TIL
v they will act with the promptness by whic
,. alone such tactics can be made successful
. and it is likely that in less than yc
d Katshwayo will be crushed and a fugtiv
e like Sakakuni. Langalibalele, Macon
" and other recalcitrant Kafir cheftains.-
r. Bait. Sun.