The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-02
A SOUTH AFRICAN HEROINE.
How Mrs. COlenbrander Commanded
the Respect of the Natives.

the Respect of the Natives.
London Letter.
One of the most remarkable women in the
world is Mrs. Johann w. Colenbrander,
who has been called the heroine OF South
Africa" Tall, stately, handsome, with
dark tiashing eyes, ultra fashionable in her
dress, she i'll no wise presents the appear
ance OF a woman who has travelled alone
through the 1ungleS of Africa, fought with
the brutal savage of the tropics ana braVed
a thousand dangers in a region which tries
the courage OF strong men. While not pre-
cisely the Partisan Sultana'' described by
AdoIphe BelOt, Mrs. Colenbrander has seen
the life OF the dark continent in all its wild
ness and lived in MatabeleIand during the
times OF the stoFmiest hghting in that coun-
try. She is a native OF South Africa and
has two sisters, and the three women are
much alike. One of them, Mrs. Drake, lives
in Swaziland and was one of the few
women left in that country after the great
scare of 1895. The father was Irish and the
mother English, and they settled in Durham
torty-tive years ago.
AS mere children the sisters were accus-
toned to out-of-doOr life. AS Mrs. Colen-
brander says, they learned to ride about
the same time they learned to walk. When
girls they could snoot d rife with the pre-
cision of an expert. Mrs. Colenbrander was
born in Natal and was married to MIR.
Colenbrander in 1883. Colenbrander has few
Superiors in all the arts of governing, fight
ing or trading with the kaf1rs OF South
Africa. He was one of the important
figures in the Matabele rebellion and was
OF great aid to the British forces in sub
DUNG and finally conquering the blacks.
His wife was by his side in many of his
adventures and often faced death uncon-
cernedly. Many interesting anecdotes are
told of her. On one occasion she visited
her sister, Mrs. Drake. in Swaziland. One
day the king of that country called on Mrs.
Drake and found Mrs. Colenbrander clean
ing her guns. He asked her In amazement
what she was about, adding that women
knew nothing of guns. The lady replied by
challenging his black majesty to a shoot
ing match. The match was arranged and a
stake of ESQ was put up. The target was
an empty bottle at one hundred yards, and
&GA LIT $500 -aFfIl nth CrnnzAI ~
king by promptly winning the money.
on another occasion Mrs. ColenDrander
and her sister paid a visit to the king. They
rode through much wild country to reach
the e-ncampment, and when they arrived
they were told by the natives that under
no circumstances must they enter the royal
kraal. The ladies found a path through the
crowd and were followed by a mob of eX-
cited negroes, bowling and shaking assegais
menacingly at the intruderS. On reaching
the royal hut they were told that the king
was asleep and that he had left orders not
to be walked. Mrs. Colenbrander forced
her way into the kings hut and awakened
him by tickling his legs with her riding
whip. 1t was not a very wise expedition,
but the result was not unpleasant, and the
negroes treated the ladies with greet re-
Spect on their return.
In 1891 Mrs. Colenbrander and her hus-
band were 'trekking'' with two wagons
from Salisbury to Buluwayo by moonlight.
They We're suddenly surrounded by natives.
who demanded to know of them why they
Travelled after sunset. Colenbrander told
them that he was searching for water, but
this did not quite satisfy the MatabeleS,
who attempted to climb into the back of
the wagon, thruSting their spears in Mrs.
C~olenbrander's face to Fighter her. They
continued, to annoy her until she picked up
her 16-bore shotgun and turned it upon
them. Then they left, fortunately without
learning that the gun was unloaded.
While they were living at Buiuwayo the
negroes often seriously annoyed them, and
Mrs. Colenbrander might not have lived to
tell the tale had she not been a woman of
wonderful courage. One day a number of
Kaffir dogs made a raid on her kitchen. She
shot them. The dogs We're the property OF
King Iobengula'S nephew and when he
heard of their death he made an attack on
the house, with q number of followers. In
the scrimmage Mr.. Colenbrander was
mob of savages alone and put them to flight
with guns Lobengula was a fair man. and
when he heard of the outrage he banished
his nephew from the royal kraal. Loben-
gula did not have a very high respect for
women, as he had just seventy-eight
The Colenbranders live in a great palace
in Buluwayo, and are very wealthy. Mrs.
Colenbrander returned alone in a wagon to
Buluwayo after DR.. JameSon'S occupation
and for seven months she was the only
white woman in the town. Later, she and
her husband spent three months in the
Matoppos hills as guests OF Cecil Rhodes,
whom she reports as a most charming host,
a brave hunter and a courageous man.
During the Matabele war Mr.. Colenbrand-
er was of great assistance to Sir Frederick
Darlington. He organized and Differed
from among his friends a force of three
lAAAA CA L 4 al q u vi
South Africa. They were caValrymen, and
did some OF the warmest fighting for the
English IN the campaign. When the council
that ended the war was held in the hills
the Matabele would not agree to anything
without the promise of Colenbrander. IF
Johann Jay So,' they said, 1T will be all
right. But we will have nothing to do with
the whites unless Johann gives his prom
iSe.' Mr.. Colenbrander is OF Dutch eXtrac-
ton. His parents were married in the
Island of Java, but settled in Natal before
the birth of Johann. He is the sixth of
thirteen children. One of his brothers was
an officer in the Dutch navy and command
ed a ship of war. Still Johann is more
British than Dutch. and SympathiZes with
the British in everything. Colenbrander's
father was the owner of a big sugar plan
tation and gave Johann a fair education.
When he was seventeen Johann started out
to win his own fortune, and he has succeed
ed pretty well in doing so. He first tray
eled into Zululand, trading cattle with the
natives, and was engaged in this life when
the fame of the great Kimberley diamond
mines reached him. He and a chum invest
cd all their earnings in picks, shovels, dom
keys and horses, and We're about to start
for the mines when news of misfortune at
home caused him to return to Zululand.
He there pursued the adventurous life of a
trader and had his ups and downs until his
knowledge of the natives came 10 the aid
of his fortunes. when the war with the
British began. From that time he began To
wax in the worlds possessions, and is now
a rich man. He was in the heaviest fight
ing at the battle of EnyamadhloVu-a name
signifytng elephants meat-when the Brit
ish forces were routed by the Zulus, who
charged the gatling guns, swept them
away and drove the rifemen from their in
trenchments. His services as guide and in
terpreter were incalculable to the British
leaders, and he has been amply rewarded.
The Colenbranders are now in London,
but VIII soon return to their home in Rulu-
wave. Mrs. Colenbrander declares tha. the
| English climate was never made for civil
lied beings to live in