The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-16

RIVER, the King became very angry De-
cause of the failure of the expedition
and the reported refusal of Moshesh to
send peace offering of cattle.
After the fruitless expedition to Mo
shesh's country Chaka sent out his
hordes of warriors to conquer the land
to the west of Zululand It is esti-
mated that in his wars of determination
he killed million blacks and held the
power of life and death over tribes oc-
cupying 100000 square miles of terri
tory. So absolute was Chaka's power.
and so desDotic and tyrannical was he
in his DEALINGS with his chieftains, thaG
they wearied of his rule and became
terrified by his bloodthirstiness.
Dingaan originated the plot for the
assassination of his brother, and re-
ceived the assistance of all but one of
Chaka's ill-treated wives in carrying it
out successfully.
Dingaan was ignorant of the intrinsic
value of the talisman which he wore
suspended from his neck until 1880.
AT the close of the year 1887 Pet
Reitief and large party of Beers, with
thirty slaves, crossed the Draaksberg
into the territory of Dingaan, for the
purpose Of establishing a colony. In
this party were Paul Kruger, then
about II years old, and his parents.
Reitief applied to Dingaan for a grant
of territory, which was promised on
condition that they should recover for
by a neighboring tribe
Then began the war between the
whites and the blacks. which cost the
lives of more than 600 Beers, who had
focked together from Cape Colony and
what is now the Orange Free State to
avenge the death of Reitief and his
comrades.
On December Is. 1888, Commandant
Pretorius, who afterward became first
President of the South African Repub-
lie, with 460 mounted Beers, encoun-
tered Dingaan's army of 1000 strong on
the banks of the Umhlatoozi River, and
in a fierce encounter routed the Zulus,
who left 5000 dead on the field. Dingaan
led his defeated army into the noun
famous region Of Zululand. where his
power was further weakened by the de-
sertion of his younger brother, UNI
panda. and 1000 of his best warriors.
Umpanda made peace with his former
enemies, the Beers. and, uniting his
forces with those Of Pretorius, signally
defeated Dingaan.
The Boer conmandant declared UNI
panda chief of the Zulus after extract
ing from him fee of $4,000 oxen for the
assistance given him in deposing Din
gaan. Dingaan's assassination took
place before he could realize his ambi-
ton of defeatin~ his brother in battle.
The youngest of his sixteen wives be-
came enrag ed when he showed a prefer
ence for an older wife, and thrust an
assagai through. his heart.
Mennela, being the lawful successor to
the King. took the talisman from the
neck of the dead Dingaan and STRAIGHT
way set out to find Umpanda. hoping
that that chief would appoint him
headman of one of his tribes.
Distinctly remembering the efforts of
the two prospectCrs to obtain the tails
man when it was the property of his
king. he had taken the precaution to
hide it under the skins that hung
around his hips. and consequently
feared no harm from the. Beers on it's
account. The Beers provided all the
food that the starving Memela could
eat and then compelled him to assist in
driving the cattle.
Thereafter Memela, the former head
man Of the mighty Zulu nation, was
the slave of the despised white men.
When the Boer trekkers finally reached
a fertile spot a short distance beyond
the mountains they determined to settle
there.
Thus they lived for several years I'M
til they felt strong and numerous
enough to establish a government. This
was done without 1.-The knowledge of
Great Britain, which claimed sover-
eighty over the land.
During that period Memela and
young Kruegtr became very friendly
with one another, and the Negroes
wound was thoroughly healed. He
begged for permission to return to his
people in Zululand, and when the re-
quest was refused he deserted the cat
tie he was guarding against a night
attack and started without provisions
or water on the four hundred mile
journey to Zululand.
He was overtaken before he had gone
half days journey and was subjected
to most inhuman punishment by the re-
vengeful Beers. For days he was COM
PEELED to perform the work of an OK
in one of the transport wagons. The
yoke was placed around his neck and
whenever the OK at his side drew hard
er on the yoke than Memela the driver
cut open the negro's bare back with the
lash of long rawhide whip.
This torturous punishment was con-
tinued for four days, until Memela
dropped to the ground from exhaustion
To hasten the healing Of the wounds
on the negro's back and on the shoul-
ders where the yoke had worn into the
flesh the Beers applied large quantities
of salt. which increased the pain a
hundredfold Being unable to move.
much less capable of walking. Memela
was bound by his wrists and ankles TO
the axles of one of the wagons.
The party had by that time crossed
the Vaal River into the country ruled
over by Moselikatse, an old Zulu war
rior who was driven northward by the
bloodthirsty Chaka.
Young Kruger, more kind hearted
than the others, secretly volunteered to
assist Memela to escape. The two went
to the river, a half days journey dis
tant, with the avowed intention OF
shooting the bucks and deer that con-
gregated at the ticks
When they reached the river the fu-
ture President of the Boer republic
gave to the negro a large gun and all
the provisions that he carried, and bade
him follow the course of the stream
by night and hide in the ncayerns by
day in order that pursuing parties
might not recapture him. Memela's
Joy was unbounded, and to show his
gratitude to his savior he took from
his groin skins the diamond talisman
and gave it to Kruger.
The two separated, Kruger to return
to his people and assist several years
afterward in driving Moselikatse out OF
the country into Matabeleland, and
Memela to reach a point near the riv-
er's course, where he found small
tribe of peaceful natives, who well
coined him in their kraai. There he has
since lived and there less than a year