The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-28

the Beers. on their way TO found the Orange
Free State. were attacked by the Matabele,
and, without any assistance from the Eng
lsh, beat back their assailants, and drove
their King a redoubtable chicftain, into the
far interior. 1t may be said that in none of
these engagements were the burgher militia
opposed to natives possessing the remarka-
BILE military organization which the Zulus
have attained. 10 was not until 1897 that a
portion Of the Beers, who had passed on
into Natal, came in contact with these
formidable warriors.
One word as to this curious confcdcracy
whose story, properly speaking, Is that OF
dynasty rather than that OF district or
people II was no later than 1910 that
chief arose, who utterly changed the char
acter and institutions Of the petty clans in
this part Of Africa This was D1NGIswAYo,
the head Of the Untolwas, who, during some
years OF exile in tho Cape Colony, had ac-
quired a knowledge OF European discipline,
and afterward turned IL 90 account by or
ganizinR his tribe into regular military
force, made up OF regiments and brigades
His favufitc officer was CHAKA, the chief OF
a small sept called the Zulus, and who. on
tribes into powerful nation. Thenceforth
he carried out on small and grotesque
scale the same work of conquest
and Incorporation which NAPOLEON had
performed In Europe. 1t was his
brother and successor, DINGAAN, who
treacherously murdered party OF sixty
Beers, which had been sent to treat for COS
sion Of territory. Upon the news OF this
atrocity two armed bodies marched against
the Zulu chicf-onc composed OF English
settlers, the other OF about three hundred
and eighty Holanders. The Englishmcn
were nearly annihilated, while the Dutch
party, after n desperate conflict, in which a
great multitude Of Zuus were killed, effect
ed an orderly retreat with the loss OF some
OF their number. After these encounters a
large Zulu army marched to Port Natal. and
most of the English colonists took refuge
on board vessels in the harbor; but the Beers
again took the field under the command Of
Mr.. 4. w. PREToRIus, marched into Din
GAINS country and fought "A battle which
will be- memorable in the annals of South
African warfare.
On Dec 1G, 1885, while encamped behind a
barricadc formed Of wagons dashed together,
a handful OF Dutch farmers, numbering not
more than four hundred men. was attacked
by DINGAAN's array, comprising twelve
thousand warriors. After striving for hours
to force the camp, and losing two thousand
men under the fire Of the Holland militia,
the Zulu battalions broke aud fled. pursued
by the mounted Beers who captured their
chief s.llage A year or two aftorward the
settlers cspoused the cause Of PANDA, the
brother of DINGAAN, and furnished him four
hundred men, with which the Zulu army
was totally routed. Thcrcupon the Beers
dethroned DINGAAN and made PANDA a sort
of tributary King, assuming sovereignty at
| once over him and over his nation. When
we call to mind that PASDA was the father
OF CETYwAYo. and that the Zulu organiza-
ton is said to have rather fallen or than
improved of recent years, we can judge
whether the Hollanders are able to defend
themselves, and whether they or the Eng
| fish have thus far gained more credit from
the wars in kafllr land. In the face OF the
facts here cited. who can doubt that the
counsel and support Of these experienced
frontiersmcn might have given different
| issue to the fight at Isandula