Year: 1879

|
| Marizburg Letter to Scotsman.


[ have obtained from a trustworthy
source the following graphic description
of the terrible encounter in the Zlobana
mountain, by one who participated in
it: On March 9th we started from our
camp at Kambula hill, in Zululand, to
attack Zulu stronghold, some twenty


miles away, called the Zobana noun
tain. We numbered about eight huns
dred mounted men, and were nearly all
of us volunteers under Colonel Wood,
nominally, but the real command was
exercised by Colonel Butler. We started
about eight o'clock in the morning, and
very cheerful and lively we all were.
We thought little of the morrow, or, if 8
few did, they only had in their imsgina~
tions day OF success and triumph over
our savage fees. We had got to hate
those Zulus, to hate them with g per-
sonal hatred something like the manner
man hates snake, or a tiger, or a
hungry wolf, knowing that if we do not
destroy it we shall ourselves be de-
stroyed. The air was bracing and invig-
Grating to good lungs and empty stom,
achs, it was positively exhilarating.


About five O'Clock in the evening we
reached the slope of the mountain, We
were here fired at, but took no notice, as
we wanted to get along unperceived,


When darkness set in We bivouacked,
esch man holding his horse in hand


while he lay down to rest, not to sleep.
During the night there was a terrible


thunderstorm, and we got thoroughly
drenched. At four o'clock in the morn
ing we were all astir, feeling miserable
enough our saddles were nearly as soft
and wet as our clothes. We ascended
the hill pretty easily, but nearly st the
top the Zulus began to make US aware OF
their presence. By six o'clock we were
at the top of the plateau and our native
allies were setting fire to some Zulu
huts and collecting the, cattle, about
two thousand in number. After time
we collected at the opposite end Of the
plateau, and here we found the Zulus in
stronger force than We had estimated.
They commenced heavy fire upon US,
and We were engaged fully half al hour
with them before we succee1ed in silenc-
| ing them. About eleven o'clock we be-
came aware of the serious fact that while
we had been engaging few zulus at one
side very large number of them had
come the way we ascended, and others to
our right and left, and that We were be.
ing surrounded. 4 few minutes obser>
vation was sufficient TO convey the ter.
rible impression to our minds that once
more the zulus had got US into q trap,
and that we were going to have TO fight
for our lives to get out of it as best we
could, or die. The willy savages began
to appear on every side-not in twos or
threes, but in hundreds and thousands.
Some of them had evidently climbed what
seemed to us a positively perpendicular
buttress on our left. Our retreat was
cut of, and there was nothing to be done
but either fight it out to the end" or
endeavor to escape down an aim st per-
pendicular pass few hundred yards in
front of US. There had been too much
fighting it out to the end " in the two
months Immediately preceding Isandula.
There was bat ons outlet for us, and
! toward it we had orders to gallop. I
was in the rear and when I reached the
place the sight was sickening. There
Was almost perpendicular pass about
ten feet wide and about three hundred
or four hundred yards down. It was
filed with rough, ragged boulders, be-
tween which were crevices where once
tie poor horse and rider fell he was seen
no more. It seemed full of horses and
men foundering one upon the other in
dire and dreadful confusion, while the
Zulus were pouring murderous fire
among them. How I got down do not
know; [ have not met With q single
: comrade yet who does. The chief sen


sation I experienced was that behind
me, at about eight hundred yards dis
tance, was very strong force of Zulus
| yelling in a manner the most blood
thirsty and fendish. In one or two
places progress was altogether impeded
by chasms six or eight feet wide, and it
was only by jumping them, or rather
risking the attempt (for many poor
fellow lost his footing and his life here)
that further descent was possible. Nearly
| all the horses were killed or had to be
left before we reached the bottom. All
the time the Zulus were firing ON us, and,
amid the most piteous shrieks for mercy,
rushing from the sides of the pass and
assassinating cur poor fellows. How any
of us escaped it is to me, and almost
every one else, miracle. At last,
| somehow or other, got to the neck OF
the pass, escaping injury from the heavy
fire of the enemy, but only to find that
on the plain in front was a big Zulu army
engaged with our men, who were divided
into parties and fighting for dear
life. Colonel Weatherley and his corps
were almost cut up to a man. They
were separated from the main body, and
the last that was seen of the gallant COL
onel was his commanding figure, swasd