THE DEVIL CAPTAIN.

Temuka Leader, Issue 241, 11 March 1880, Page 3

TH E DEVIL CAPTAIN.

The late Genial Donovan, known to 'almost everyone some years Did:, in the City of Cape Town, as the man with the lion’s voice, for many years wminaivk -1 that famous corns, the Cope Mounted Jlifles. As an evidence of the strength "of his lungs, it is stated he could drill his regiment, with perfect ease a quarter of a mile off. He was at the time of the first Kaffir war a captain commanding a troop in Dm above named rog>ment. He was over six foot in height proportioned, anti j.ossesseri of muscular; treuglh rare, j given to human beings. Scarce knowing what fear me inf, a consummate horseman, wellBkiileo with. In's weapons, he invariably defcati d the eneinywhenevor they had an encounter, bhnsHf coming off so-a I- bless 80 that ho got regarded by the natives ■as bearing a charmed hie. 1 in- Kaffirs ■'then, as now, fought wth address and determination, ami w ere, arm any peen- j JiarJy cruel to their captm-d. if not immediately and hnnandy shun by innumerable stabs of the deadly asseeai, tliey were usual!}' reserved for the e arful torture of being flayed aliw after suffering nameless indignities. J;o ■ Kaffir?, particularly the Zulus made a vow that if ever the “ devil captain,” as they called Donovan, or what was lb. equivalent in their j.uttm-als, fell into their hands, his fate would he worse r tlmn any that preceded him, and lie knew Drum to be nun oi their word. In one of the fights that took place in The’up-country, not far from where the reccn- tragedies were enacted, the captain’s luck seemed to have deserted im ‘and he and his command foil into ambush in a gully between two rifts of 'hills, common in that country. His t menWere ail either killed or wounded; Tn’s horse shot from under him, sabre 'broken, and pistols empty. He appa•rently was at the enemy’s nwrev. Donovan knew tiiat small mercy won d be accorded him, and as the two Zulu chiefs famed for their strength and bravery, advanced to capture him alive he seized one literally in cadi hand, and /with Ids enormous strength, doubled by. his e’e p‘r of the moment, brought 'their 1. s.togetb* r with a deadly crash. One of the wounded men aftmvaids ;said that it was like the sound i.f broken bottles. One chief was killed and the other so maimed that he lived bit, a clay ’or two. The. rest of the hand tied with terror, now thoroughly convinced that he was not a man but a demon. The 'survivors and the dead chiefs were shortly after brought' in by remforcehnents of the regiment. Donovan was hardly ever again opposed during the continuance of the war.