New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-04
A NARROW ESCAPE.
THE CONQUEST OF ,rATABELELAND.

LONDON February q.
The news Of the death of Lobengula removes
a lurking anxiety which underlies the sa;isfac
ton in the British mind at the Unexpectedly
swift settlement Of the campaign in MataDele-
land II is true the news still awaits confr-
nation Mr. Sclous. who is here just now pre-
pairing for his visit to your side OF the At
lant!c, is inclined to accept II, a disposition
shared by authorities alike al Downing street ana
Cape Town There was always danger whlle
the King lived Of fresh trouble. whether
camped on the northern or southern bank OF the
Zambesi. he would have found II necessary To
supply occupation for his young men, VINO other-
wise would eat him up. Lobengula was nor
old sOvere.gnS and statesmen in these Gays
rank But he fat and sCant o breath. III
prepared II face the discomforts OF his night
from Buuwayo. The depths OF misery herein
touched are not known to gentlemen OF Eng
land who live at home at ease. | have just re-
turned from Cape Town where. at the residence
Of the High Commissioner or at that OF his
neighbor. Mr. cecil Rhodes. had the oppor-
tunty Of seeing and corycrsing with NUMBER
Of men and officers struggling down from the
conquest Of Matabelcand.
They do not complain but they occasionally
let fan a phrase Of graphic description. which
brings inlp IlfII HGnl the misery anu AH' lNii
Of the situation Major Wilson and his thirty
five men. all the world knows were Killed by
the savagcs they were in such fatal hurry TO
catch up with. 1t is not fully known at home
how narrowly the main column, under the COM
mand Of Major Forbes. escaped n similar fate
Had Lobenguli been in usual health and spirits
he would have made swift end OF Forbess col
unn. and. sweeping forward. eate with victory.
would have killed every white man In his ter
ritory the Chartered Company leaving to the
Imperial forces the heritage Of difficult and
costly war.
Two or three Of the men have talked with
rode out with Major Wilson when he set forth
To chase king and caught "A Tartar. These
escaped the fate Of their comrades. being sent
back for achievements one. Mr. Bowen. owes
his life to the Gruily expressed but kindly con-
sheraton Of Wilson just before the quarrel
with Lobcngula came to a head by the action
Of the impi round Fort Victoria Mr.. Bowen mar
RED the daughter Of the Bishop Of Derry. at the
time on a visit to tho Cape. lie is not soldier
by profession. holding n position in the civil
servce Of the Chartered Company At the sound
of the first rne-shot he laid down his pen. took
I'D his rife and joined the forces in the field
in Mashonalanl lie attached to Major
Wilson's troop that went forward t. capture
he would inevitably have shared the fate
that awaited the gallant little band. Major VII
son. realizing the danger Of tn expedition upon
which he had embarked. turned sharply upon
the Bridegroom. whom he observed in his train
and said: "EOwen, You must 81 back and stop
in the laagcr" This seemed harsh COM
manl. But there nothing = he done sac
II obey. and Bowen rode back T. the camp, com
forting himself with a promise earlier made that
he would speed t. BuluwayJ bearing the tidngs
Of the Kings captu.e.
one gathers In conversation with these eye
witnesses what IL barely grasIei here. That is
the exceedingly narrow escape British arms hai
in Matabeleland 1t is rather owing L. good luck
ana failure of judgment ard resolution on the
part Ct Lobengula's lleutcnants that there was
not another Isaniiuna followed by a costly cam
paign. In an early epoch Of the war tn English
were favored h. an Unforeseen s'roie of goa
luck. The approach 10 Buluwayo from the south
Is impregnably scnt!n"el by the Marquc Pas.
Sir Frederick Darlington. who. knowing more oi
African warfare than any living man, was sent
out to Cape Town b, Lord Rpon at "A timo when
things began t. looh serious. tells me. hal h"
been In command h. woull nj have attempted
10 carry this position WITH less than 5000 mon
Colonel GoolG-Adams. captalning 900 border polica
and pioneers set ont with the intention 81 making
his way over a doser, and reaching Buluwayo
by a roundabout route. The drouth made this
impossible anl the = remained nothing but the
pass In this demml GJoli Adams cautiously .
moved IT, reconnoitre and could hardly believe '
his scouts when they came back and told him the
pass wa deserted Such was. h0wevcr. "a" case.
I.3bengula had placed half hi fighting men under
the command az his byothcr-in-,aw. GnUbD, and
told him 10 hold thu pass. Defeated N = pre- .
limlnary skirmish with Goud-AdlmS before .
* hama deserted the British columns to which h" I
had been achcd ana hearing mat th- main /
body IF the Chartered comp1ny's forces were ,
closing round Buuwayo Gambo rcTcatcd. Z
tiOOll- Adams ana his 800 men. amazed was .
l!ezckiah when he woke up In tn" morning aud .
found the belcasu"ring host Of S'nnachcrib all .
dead corpses," marched unm ,osted through the /
ienlc and 80 reached BrIuvayp.
What has become Of GambO ard his 5000 /
warriors picked battalons of LobenEulas once
nvncib.e army. Is az pr@-sn, uneNpainei IL
belle rapidly coming in. making submission
and rcsum!ng the tilagc II their land. Gam
bo's men are more accustomed to speed the
assegai than to use the hoe. and are not men
toned as having drif"l In with this de-
sirable movement. One reason which accounts
for the mystery That broods over their move
ncnt IS the fact that the rainy season is SIN
In fun ewing. l. viii cease next month ana
hen may be expected important news from
Awaiting that It IS interesting
and Instructive 10 consider LObcnGula's views
upon the contingency that has actually hap /
pcncd. In conversation with Sir Henry Lpch /
he High commissioner told me K!aWa some
lime ago assured him that IObengua secretly
cherished the intention 81 abandoning Matab lie
and, crossing the Xambcsi. and founding on
he further shore a new kingdom thar should be
ree from fussy Interference Of the white man,
With his hunger for gold, and his objection to
king doing what he liked with his own people
ma with any Of his neighbors who might fall
ntO his hands. Khama added that before this
light n0rihward was made LObcnguii would
ct hia young men loose on the white folk. taking
errible revenge for what he regarded
les of insults and an accumulation OF Injuries.
rhe main obstacle in the way ~ this enter
rise was the difficulty Of crossing IN" Xambrsi
With safe transportation of his many oxen.
bout year ago the King seems 10 have b"en
repairing for the fitting. considerable number
{ canoes were gathered on the Iamb.s al. The pro-
OrtiOnS Of the fleet were steadily growing,
When night the rains descended, the floods
anne and The fra canoes were mass Of wreck ,
gc In June or July last. when Matabcle iInpis
ppearcd in MashOna. the Kings hand
DTccd by the untamcd ardOr Of his young men
H. was not ready for all that swiftly followed
Don the attack on the Makalallas near Vie