CETYWAYO’S STORY OF THE ZULU WAR.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 120, 14 May 1880, Page 2 (Supplement)

CETYWAYO’S STORY OF THE ZULU WAR.

In ‘ Macmillan’s Magazine ’ appears an account by the captive King Cetywayo of the Zulu nation and of the late war. The narrative has been written by Captain J. Ruscombe Poole, R.A., who brought Cetywayo from Zululancl to Capetown, the facts and opinions having been derived in the course of repeated interviews with the ex-king in the presence of an able and trustworthy interpreter. The frequent disputes with the Boers, and the progress of the boundary question are dwelt upon. The young men in Zulukind were getting restless and quarrelsome, being anxious to get a chance of ‘ washing ’ their spears. They were intent on having a war somewhere, and proposed a raid into Swaziland solely for this purpose. Cetywayo, being pressed by them, applied to the English to agree to his making war with tho Swazis, and called up hi 3 army, but as the English Government forbade it he disbanded the army and sent them home. The nation was very hostile towards the Boers on acconnt of the frequent frontier disturbances, and there is no doubt that a very little fuel to the lire already smouldering would have brought on a war between Boers and Zulus. Cetywayo himself was against a war, although lie threatened to fight the Boers, but admits that had not tho Transvaal been annexed it was only a question of time how soon war would have broken out between the Boers and Zulus. With regard to the Sirayo affair, when the English demanded the sons of the chieftain Cetywayo sent to Sirayo to tell him to collect cattle and hand them over to the English as a tine or punishment in lieu of the young men. Sirayo replied that ho had no cattle, that he had just been eaten up and fined over the Ischeni affair ; but he sent to say he was sorry for what had happened, and that his sons had done wrong. The English Government again sent so say that they insisted on these two men being delivered up to them for punishment. All the chiefs advised Sirayo to give up his sons, but the father’s feelings were too strong, and he would not. Cetywayo then sent back an answer himself, saying they were only boys ; that it was a wild freak of theirs, and on the score of their youth begged for mercy for them. At the same time he admitted that they were in the wrong, and that the English had good cause to be angry ; that he was angry with Sirayo himself for not giving up the sons or sending cattle instead.

He then heard nothing more of the affair until he received the ultimatum. Cetywayo says that he did not at first understand that Sirayo’s sons were demanded as well as the 500 head of cattle, and that lie was not at first told that he was to disband his army and break up his military system by allowing his men to marry, Ac., but that lie heard it afterwards. Prior to the time when the English troops had crossed the borders of Zululand John Dunn is said to have used every persuasion to prevent Cetywayo going to war with the English. Before the Sirayojafiair he told Oety wayo'that the English were in earnest, and quite intended to go to war if he gave provocation, and when Sirayo’s sons committed themselves, he told the King that now provocation had been given, the English would certainly fight. The actual conduct of the war is described as follows :

As soon as the English troops had crossed into Zululand Cetywayo called out the whole of his army, and sent out three armies to meet the three English columns. Ho held, and he was collecting, a very large reserve at Ulundi, quite equal to the three armies he had sent out. Ho was afraid of a mounted force making a dash past one of these armies into the heart of the country ; lie also expected a column to invade him from St. Lucia Bay or Dclagoa Bay, as ships had been seen passing up the coast, and especially close inland at St. Lucia Bay. The army sent against Brigadier Wood was under Mahubulana, the one against Glyn under Utschinswayo, and that against Pearson under Godidi. They had orders to drive back the columns, and were not hampered with any particular instructions, but were left to act independently as they thought bet t. The people in each district were ordered to keep ‘ look-outs,’ and send in information. The border people were told to send spies into Natal and the Transvaal to collect what information they could, and also to Delagoa Bay. Some time before this Cetywayo sent to Basutoland to Mapako to send him a doctor to doctor his soldiers ; he did not send any spies or messengers beyond Basutoland or the Transvaal. Cetywayo also sent messengers to Secocoeni ; but he assorts that he entered into no arrangements whatever with him, as he wished to be able to say, should things go against him, that he had acted entirely on the defensive. He was originally going to send to Secocoeni’s country for some young bullocks that he wanted for breeding purposes, and so took this opportunity of informing him of what had happened. Cetywayo hoped to bo able to crush the English columns, drivo them out of the country, defend his border, and then arrange a peace. He knew the English io Natal could not bring a very large force into the field ; but ho had often been told by wliito men {'traders in his country) that they had a very largo army boyond the

sea. He knew that if the English persevered in the war he would get the worst of it in tho end.

The first news that reached Cetywayo of the doings of his three armies was by a messenger, who said that the camp of the middle column from Rorke’s Drift had been taken and plundered, and nearly the whole of the English column destroyed. The messenger said he saw on his way tho rest of tho column returning, that when he left ho thought the whole of the column had been destroyed ; he spoke of it as a great victory. After this came the news that Godidi’s army had been defeated by Pearson and had scattered ; and in another day or so came the news that the armpsent against Wood had been defeated, and had scattered and gone to their homes.

Of the Rorke’s Drift fight Cetywayo received most imperfect news. Dabulamanzi reported that he had successfully stormed and taken ‘ the house ’ (the hospital) he attacked, and then retired, but admitted he had suffered heavily. The army that had fought at Isandula had lost very heavily. It remained encamped close to the battle-field for three days, chiefly owing to the large number of the wounded, including two SOll3 of Utshingwayo, whom they could not remove; many of the wounded were in a dying state. They buried a largo number of their dead. It was ten days before they returned to Ulundi, and then the Indunas and quite a small part of the army was all that appeared ; most had gone to their homes with their wounded or tlieir plunder. Cetywayo was much disturbed. The attack on Kambula was a prematuro one, and not conducted as was intended. Umnyama, Cetywayo’s Prime Minister, was in command, and his plans were to advance on Kambula, encamp close by, harass the camp by attacking the horses and cattle when out at pasture, and worry the garrison in every possible way, so as to force Wood to come out and tight in the open ; but on their way to Kimbula on tho 28th firing was heard on the Zlobano Mountain, and part of tho army took part in that engagement. The success of the Zulus there greatly elated them, and they thought if they attacked the camp next day they would obtain an easy victory. The Zulu losses were very heavy, nearly if not quite equal to their losses at Isandula. During June and July Cetywayo had decided on no definite plan of operations. He received information that Lord Chelmsford’s division and General Croalock’s would meeton the Emtonjaneui and move together on Ulundi. On tho arrival of Lord Chelmsford’s force there ho saw that it was impossible for General Crealock to come up in time, so ho decided to give his whole attention to Lord Chelmsford. He called up men from all the districts, leaving only a few in the coast country to protect the cattle, and if possible to drive them out of the reach of General Crealock’s cavalry. Meanwhile Cetywayo sent peace messengers to Lord Chelmsford and General Crealock with tusks. He saw that tho war must go against him, but his people were headstrong, and insisted on fighting. The chiefs Umgenalo and Shibela were sent to Lord Chelmsford, and Usintwangu to General Crealock. The message they bora was to ask what wrong he had done that the war was being so pressed, that he was not mixed up with the .Sirayo affair, and that if Lord Chelmsfoad would withdraw his troops from Zululand he would then settle peace with him. All Cetywayo’s regiments were represented at Ulundi; the force was about equal to that sent against Lord Chelmsford at Isandula. Had the Abaqulusi Regiment been present at Kambula that army would have been the largest engaged during the war.

The two guns that were taken at Isandula were found by Sir Garnet Wolseley's patrols a short distance on the Ulundi sido of Kwamaizekaney. Cetywayo states that they were on the way from that place to be handed over to Lord Chelmsford when the battle of Ulundi occurred, when they were left where they were found.

The narrative concludes with the llighfc of the King after Ulundi, and his wanderings until his discovery and capture, and with some particulars of the enormous losses of men and chiefs sustained by the Zulus during the campaign.

Wo often censure the conduct of others when under the same circumstances wo might not have acted half so well. A clergyman was recently telling a marvellous story, when his little girl said, ‘ Now, ’pa, is that really true, or is it just preaching /’ The popularity of the ulster, no doubt, comes from the fact that it can be worn longer than any other kind of overcoat.

A young lady being asked if there were many beautiful women in the place, innocently replied, ‘ Oh, no, thero are only six of us at present.’ A cheerful, happy tempor, keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, excludes each gloomy prospect, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity. A Fair Return.—A lawyer on his deathbed willed all his property to a lunatic asylum, stating as a reason for so doing that he wished the property to return to the liberal classes of people who had patronised him. A fellow stole Lord Chatham’s gouty shoes ; his servant, not finding them, began to curse the thief. ‘Never .uind,’ said his lordship ; ‘ all the harm I wish him is that they may fit him.’

‘ Gripps, I understand you have a superior way of curing hams. I should like to learn it.’ —‘Well, yes: I know very well how to cure them ; but the trouble with mo just now is to pro-cure them.’

An Angel.—The other evening an old gentleman advanced the proposition that never in the course of his long life had he seen a woman that was not charming.— 1 Oh, really, now,’ said a lady whose nose was of the purest Ukraine breed, ‘ don’t you think I’m ugly V ‘ Not at all, madam,’ replied the gallant old gentleman. ‘ You are an angel, fresh fallen from heaven, only you fell on your nose.‘