The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-24
Methods of LObengula, the Rebel
IiOuS Ruler Of Matabeleland.
His Impi Divided Into Four Sections,
Each Offered by Chief Induna
The King on Parade.

lions.
Those who are well acquainted with the
Matabeles were little surprised when the
first Cape dispatch announced that the ma
tves had been so badly beaten at the very
beginning. OF course science and modern
discipline will always triumph eventually
over the rude organization Of semi-cvi-
lized people. But the subjects Of King Lo-
bengula are a great fighting nation and
they will not be easily subdued. They are
essentially a military people, although
they are no longer the irresistible warriors
who followed Umziligazi. the father of Lo-
bengula, in his great trek" The British
South African. or Chartered Company.
claim that Lobengula has broken a pledge
he had made to them. "a South African
Pioneer" in the London Graphic, voices the
intentions of the English settlers when he
says: with such a man as Lobengula and
with such power as he has at his back,
when once he goes beyond the bounds Of
his written pledges with a company and
breaks out into open hostility there is only
thing to be had recourse to. There is
no stopping Lobengula's old and young
warriors now they have sharpened their
assegais and believe themselves equal to the
white in spite of his rifles They will
wipe us out Of the country or we must
wipe them out and drive what Is left Of
them across the Zambesi river. There Is no
stopping short of extreme measures when
engaged with savage tribes.
The settlers. however, will have all they
can do to annihiate the so-called savages.
A traveller who has studied them closely in
their own country thus describes their mil
itary organization: "a Matabeleland is d.
vided into four divisions, which really con-
stitute the four great territorial divisions
sided over by the four chief 1ndunas.'
Each division embraces certain number
of lSraals. These kraals have one, two and
three indunas, according to their size
kraal which bears the name of a regiment
is the headquarters Of that regiment, and
the war shields and assegais are Kept In a
hut in the center of a kraal; but as reg
iment becomes smaller by age or loss the
young men from other kraalS ere drafted
into 1t, and, though living in kraal in one
to the division In which their regimental
kraal is situated. The indunas of kraal
giving name to regiment-that is, head
quarters kraal of a regiment-are indunas,
or officers of regiment in the field. lndunaS
of subsidiary kraals are inferior in rank
to them. There are also national indunaS.
The aristocracy of the country are of orig
inal Zulu blood, and they need not have
charge Of a kraal. The men are divided up
into regiments after the manner OF the
Zulus according to age. Each regiment on
formation receives a kraal named after 1t
This is tbs only kind of Matabe,e town
existing. The army is about fifteen thou
sand strong. Eight thousand men have
been counted at the war dance. Some reg
iments were then known not to be present
Others had to leave men to look after their
kraals and cattle. And no warrior can ap-
pear unless arrayed in the imposing dress
Of ostrich feathers, which numbers do not
possess The force is divided into four
great divisions which give the names to
the four divisions Of the country: l. ANA
4. Amakanaa. There are about twenty
regiments, which, putting the forces down
at 200 men, would give $50 per regiment
THE CHARTERED COMPANY'S FORCE.
1t is not yet known whether Lobengulas
army is-to use & modern civilized Euro
pean word-"mobilized," but at any rate
he must have enough to make the force
advancing against him feel very anxious
The South Africa company has, under the
orders of DR.. Jameson. divided it's compile
ments Of thousand armed men into three
divisions, under the following officers-Maj.
Sir John willoughby. Major Forbes. Of the
Inniskilling Dragons; Captain Lendy
Royal Artillery, and Captain Heyman of the
Cape Mounted Rifles. AS. already stated,
force have left Forts Victoria and Charter
for Matabeleland. Each expedition con-
mounted, many with thoroughly seasoned
horses. They have Winchester rifles, be-
sides machine guns. some of which are
Maxims. The third force. stationed at
Fort Tuli, is composed of two hundred men.
This force will now join the Bechuanaland
t%e Roya af Scotch FISHERS who has ABOUT
200 men at Tati, where the Tuli force and
the Macloutsie garrisons join Besides this
Major Grey, of the British Bechuanaland
police, has been ordered to raise $50 men
in the protectorate to reinforce the border
police. Roughly stated the British force
comprises about 2, 400 men, all we'll armed
and equipped.
Lieut.. Albert H Halder member of the
German Landwehr, who has been many
Vaar in fri no
ent war will be settled in one decisive blow,
and 1 entirely share Mr.. Rhodes's belief
reason is that the Chartered company's
forces now marching against Buluwayo
cannot be compared with British regular
troops, who have no great personal inter
| est in the country in which they are fight
| ing. AS regards physique-in a country
| where the fittest alone survive-they are
| far better than troops at home, and are
,, more suited for such q campaign as it IS
about to commence. Moreover, they are
| defending their hearths and homes against
| savages who are bowling at their very
| doors. I therefore give 1t as my emphatic
| opinion that they are in every respect
numbers to crush the Matpbeie king in one
| battle and to compel him and his impi to
follow their wives and cattle across the
| Lieutenant Halder might have added that
| the Bechuanaland border police splendid
guerillas. The first shot in the present cam
paign was fired in an attack by the Mat
| abele on detachment OF the Bechuana
| police near Macloutste- 1t was this attack
which imposed upon the imperial govern
ment the duty of participating in the war.
One who witnessed a review by King
| Lobenzula at Gubuluwayo, thus describes
| him: "Lobengula came onto the parade
| ground from his kraal wearing a towering
| headdress of black ostrich feathers and a
huge ostrich feather cape, with a kilt Of
| wildcat tails, and in his hand an assegai
| He paced forward into the center of the
| open space with slow and stately STEP
| By Ibbengula's side. on the occasion
| walked mis- sister Nina, corpulent a per-
| sonaSe as her brother. She, for her part
| wore a long kilt, with profuse display Of
| color and gold chain and watch. In her
| woolly hair was an arrangement of blue
| Jay feathers. Two OF Lobengula's daugh-
| tiers, who, with three more-all attired with
| yellow kerchiefs. beads and sashes OF yell
4 low ribbon-had previously to the coming
| native songs before the assembled warriors
| After war chant by the impi, keeping time
/ with their feet, the King ordered q sham
| fight, which was duly carried out"
| The greater portion of the impi, or army,
| in fact, is made up of mixture of the two
| peoples by intermarriage with Matabele
| girls and Mashona lads. and vice versa.
Not many regiments can be made up of
| men OF pure Matabele blood. Each regi-
| ment is supposed to count sixty men, and
these are known by their native name and
| shields. They are distributed. over that
| country each occupying its military kraal
| under its own induna, always, moreover
| being subject TO military discipline. In this
way the whole force can be formed into an
army at a days notice, fully armed
! with asSegai, knobkerry and shield. These
/ regiments are reviewed at stated intervals
| by the King and after the review the war
| riors enjoy themselves by participating in
Cpfr q ra karf rt