THE DEVIL CAPTAIN.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 138, 29 May 1880, Page 2

THE DEVIL CAPTAIN.

. The lata Genemi Donovan, known !o almost cycrynuo .sumo years back, in tin; I city of (Jape Town.&e.', as the man wiili t the linn's voice, for many years coei- , nianded that famous corps' the (!an<> , M miitiiil Ride*. As an evidence of the , strength Of his limps, it is stated that h- ' could drill his regiment with perfect oa*: ( a uuartor of a m.le otf. Ho w:,s at the time of the livst Kuflir war a captain J commanding a irouji in the above-turn ■! ( regiment. Ho wasoversix teet in height, .. [icrl'eully proportioned, and possessed of muscular strength raivly given to hi/:iinii beings. .Scarce knwiug what fear intuit. a consummate houseman, well skilb•■ with his weapons, he invariably defeated . the enemy whenever they had an encounter, himself noining oil scatheless, so lli.it he got to he regarded by (lie natives ,is hearing a charmed life. The Kalirs'theii, as now, fought with address and determination, and were, and are, peculiarly cruel to their captured. If not immediately ami humanely slain b v innumerable stabs of the deadly assegai, limy were usually reserved for the fearful torture of being Hayed alive after suffering nameless indignities. The Kafirs, par>cu'ar'y the Z ilus, made a vo v th.it f ovor the "devil.captain," as iliuy called Donovan, or what was the equivalent in their gutturals, fell into their hands, hi« fate would be worst: than any that preceded him, and he knew they were men of their word. In one of the fights thuo took place in the up-country, not far from where the recent tragedies 'were enacted, the eaptain's luck seemed to have deserted him, and lie and his command fell inlo an ambush, in a gully between two rifts of hills, common in that country. Million were almost all either killed or wounded. l(is horse shot from under him, sabre broken, and pistols empty. He apparently was at the enemy's mercy. Donovan know that small mercy would ho accorded him. and as the two Zulu chiefs famed for their strength and bravery, advanced to capture him alivo, ho seized one literally in each hand, and with his enormous strength, doubled by his despair of the moment, brought thoir Lend* together with a deadly crash. One of hi* wounded moil afterwards Mid that it wis like the sound of broken bottles. Oil" chief was killed, and the other so maimed that ho lived but a day or two. TJm ivst of the hand (led with terror 1 hi*, throughly convinced'that ho was not ft man, but a demon. The survivors and the dead chiefs were shortly after brought ill I'.v reinforcements of"the regiment. Donovan was hardly ever again opposed during the. continuance of tnu war.—-To-ronto Globe.