About six weeks later, in the month of November, 1856, I chanced to

be at Nodwengu when the quarrel between the princes came to a head.

Although none of the regiments was actually allowed to enter the

town--that is, as a regiment--the place was full of people, all of them

in a state of great excitement, who came in during the daytime and went

to sleep in the neighbouring military kraals at night. One evening,

as some of these soldiers--about a thousand of them, if I remember

right--were returning to the Ukubaza kraal, a fight occurred between

them, which led to the final outbreak.

As it happened, at that time there were two separate regiments stationed

at this kraal. I think that they were the Imkulutshana and the Hlaba,

one of which favoured Cetewayo and the other Umbelazi. As certain

companies of each of these regiments marched along together in parallel

lines, two of their captains got into dispute on the eternal subject of

the succession to the throne. From words they came to blows, and the end

of it was that he who favoured Umbelazi killed him who favoured Cetewayo

with his kerry. Thereon the comrades of the slain man, raising a shout

of "Usutu," which became the war-cry of Cetewayo's party, fell upon the

others, and a dreadful combat ensued. Fortunately the soldiers were only

armed with sticks, or the slaughter would have been very great; but as

it was, after an indecisive engagement, about fifty men were killed and

many more injured.

Now, with my usual bad luck, I, who had gone out to shoot a few birds

for the pot--pauw, or bustard, I think they were--was returning across

this very plain to my old encampment in the kloof where Masapo had been

executed, and so ran into the fight just as it was beginning. I saw the

captain killed and the subsequent engagement. Indeed, as it happened, I

did more. Not knowing where to go or what to do, for I was quite alone,

I pulled up my horse behind a tree and waited till I could escape the

horrors about me; for I can assure anyone who may ever read these words

that it is a very horrible sight to see a thousand men engaged in fierce

and deadly combat. In truth, the fact that they had no spears, and could

only batter each other to death with their heavy kerries, made it worse,

since the duels were more desperate and prolonged.

Everywhere men were rolling on the ground, hitting at each other's

heads, until at last some blow went home and one of them threw out his

arms and lay still, either dead or senseless. Well, there I sat watching

all this shocking business from the saddle of my trained shooting pony,

which stood like a stone, till presently I became aware of two great

fellows rushing at me with their eyes starting out of their heads and

shouting as they came: "Kill Umbelazi's white man! Kill! Kill!"




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