THE DEATH OF THE PRINCE IMPERIAL.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1687, 17 July 1879, Page 3

THE DEATH OF THE PRINCE IMPERIAL.

CAPE TOWN, June 3.

Late last night a telegram reached this (Reuter's) Agency announcing the death of tho Prince Imperial. It appears that His Highness, with his accustomed gallantry, had gone out with a party from General Wood's camp, and that after riding some miles the party dismounted in a mealie field, and were about to remount when they were fired upon by some Zulus who had crept up unobserved. At the first volley the Prince fell mortally wounded. The folly of " off saddling " in a mealie field, which affords such splendid cover for a treacherous and wily enemy, appears totally inexplicable, and shows how greatly military men with no oolonial experience err in disregarding the advice of colonists as to the first principles of war with an uncivilised foe. It is only a few days ago that a telegram stated that the Prince, while out with a few officers, was surrounded, and only escaped by putting his horse at a steep krautz. But this did not prevent him from accompanying the party on this occasion. Lord Beresford and some other officers, supported by 170 mounted irregulars, started on a three days' patrol through tho country lying between the Buffalo and the White Umbalaei River. The little party returned in safety, having met few of the enemy, but their advance wa3 marked by a chain of signal fires, showing that tho foe was fully on tho aleifc. June 10. The accounts of tho manner in which the Prince Imperial met his death are extremely cor flicting. Tho official account states that, on tho alarm of Zulus being in tho neighborhood of the small party, they all mounted, and in tho general flight dispersed indifferent directions, that the Prince and two others unfortunately rode into a deep "donga" in which more of tho enemy wero concealed, and that they there met with their death.

The official statomont is corroborated to a certain extent by the fact that the body was actually found in a donga; and it has been pointed out by the " Oape Times," that the Prince had been known, whilst at Maritzburg, to frequently vault into the saddle without touching the stirrups, and that on the occasion of a sudden alarm he would strain every nerve to mount. A very circumstantial report of the sad occurrence by Mr Phil Robinson, who got his information from the surviving troopors, and rode a great distance to the nearest station, states that the alarm was first given by a Kaffir, who had been sent to the river for water. He says that the Prince give the order to mount, but had scarcely spoken the words when a well-directed volley killed a trooper, and so frightened the Prince's horse that he was unablo to mount, although he made frequent attempts to do so. He adds that, after running a great distance by the horse's side, he was overtaken by Zulus and assagaied. An official inquiry into the unfortunate occurrence has been held, the reßult of which has not yet been made public. The ," Argus," in a telegram from Natal, throw out a strong hint that the body had been mutilated. There is not the slightest evidence of anything of tho kind. The body had several assagai wounds on it, and the clothing had certainly been removed, but the Zulus almost invariably do this. A religious token around the neck had been left, and the Princo's watch and ring wore found near the spot. His Highness wa3 in command of the party, which consisted of Captain Carey, seventy-eight regulars, sixty of Beddington's horse, and one Kaffir. Tho ground they took had been covered by our forces two days before, and was believed to be entirely deserted by the enemy. Captain Carey and the troopers, after the sad occurrence, whioh some of them actually witnessed, rode in the direction of Colonel Wood's camp, and about three miles distant met that officer with Colonel Buller. The news was at once conveyed to Lord Chelmsford, and on the following morning a strong cavalry patrol was sent out, and they recovered the body.