Part 5 (2/2)

Seated in our kraal were more than a hundred Zulu warriors, watching a fire at which one of our young bulls was being roasted. They were all in full war-costume, and I saw that many of their a.s.sagies were stained with blood. I tried to rise, but found that my hands and legs were tied, and that I could not move. The Zulus, seeing I was sensible again, called to a chief who was sitting at a distance, and pointed to me attentively, and then said--

”Who are you?”

”I am an Umlungo who has been kept among these people,” I replied, ”and they have made me a chief.”

”Where do you come from?”

”I came in a s.h.i.+p which was wrecked on the coast; all the men were killed except me.”

”When do you expect your men to return?”

”I don't know; they have gone to fight with the Amakosa against my people.”

”Why did they not take you?”

”I could not fight against my own tribe.” The chief waited for a short time, looking at me attentively, and then said, ”You will return with us; attempt to escape, and twenty a.s.sagies will be in your body.” He then turned away, and walked to his seat outside the circle.

I was struck with the dignity and manner of this chief. He seemed one born to command, to be self-possessed, calm, and decided. He walked like a chief, and I could easily understand how it was that the Zulus were so powerful if they possessed many men like this one. I felt being tied, as it was very painful. So I spoke to one of the men near me, and said that, if the chief would unfasten my arms and legs, I would promise not to attempt to escape; but if I remained tied, I should not be able to move when they did unbind me. The Zulu carried my message to the chief, who nodded, and the young Zulu came and unbound me. I rose to my feet, but felt very sick and giddy from the blow I had received from the k.n.o.b-kerrie on my head, and was obliged to sit down again. The chief then called me, and I went over to where he sat, and he asked me if I was hurt. I pointed to a lump on my head where I had been hit. He felt my head, and said, ”That is nothing.” He then inquired how many guns had been taken by the warriors who had gone with the Amakosa.

I told him eight; and, thinking it better to deal fairly with him, I told him that in the thatch of my hut there was my gun.

He immediately sent a man into my hut to search, and shortly my gun was brought out. The chief examined this carefully--a gun was evidently new to him--and I explained how it was loaded and fired. He was much interested in all I said. So, being anxious to gain his favour, I told him there was something else more wonderful still that I could show him.

He told me to bring whatever it was. So I brought him my field-gla.s.ses, and, adjusting them for a long sight, I placed them in his hands, and told him to look at some cows about half a mile off. He raised them to his eyes, and instantly started back with astonishment.

He examined them carefully, and seemed more surprised as he looked again through them. I then made him look through the gla.s.ses the opposite way, viz., through the large gla.s.ses, and to look down at his feet. His legs then appeared about twenty feet long, and he was more astonished with this than even with the fact that distant objects were brought nearer by the aid of the gla.s.s. He called several of his men to look through the gla.s.s, and laughed at their surprise.

The chief now told me that I was to return with them to the Zulu country, when they drove off our cattle. He made no secret of how he came here. He said that an _impi_, or army, had been sent against some of the Basutos; that when they were returning they heard that all our men had gone with the Amakosa to the westward. So they came down to our country to take some cattle and carry off some of the young girls, and that on the morrow they intended to start on their return journey. I found they had killed several of our old men, but as there was no one to resist them, they had easily gathered together the cattle they required.

On the following morning we started on our journey, and I found that over a thousand men had come down to our country, whilst the main body of the army were up to the north-east and numbered several thousand.

With the exception of the women, I was the only prisoner they had taken.

The Zulus rarely take prisoners, they kill their enemy; but, seeing that I was white, and therefore not a Caffre, they had spared me.

Our march was carefully made. About half a mile in front some dozen men, who were good runners, kept a look-out, and signalled to us every now and then to let us know that all was right and no enemy near. We had about a hundred cows and young bulls with us, which were driven along in our midst. Not a boy or female of our tribe was visible: they had all retreated to the bush and concealed themselves. The kraals were empty and most of them burnt. I felt very sorry for my old companions, though they had gone to fight against the English. It seemed, however, like a punishment to them, to be thus attacked at home when there was no reason why they should go out and fight against those who had never done them any harm.

Our march was first nearly northwards, till we came near the Quathlamba Mountains. We then went east, crossed the Umzinyati river and the Tugela, and entered the Zulu country.

I was surprised at the number of cattle I saw in the Zulu country.

Thousands of beautiful cows were everywhere to be seen; and the gra.s.s was finer and better suited for grazing than down near the Umzimvubu.

Our small army was welcomed with shouts by crowds of Zulus who turned out to meet us, and who looked on me with great surprise. When they found I could speak their language as well as they could, their surprise was greater; and they at first would not believe that I was not an Albino, or white Caffre, such phenomena being sometimes seen among them.

I was taken to the kraal of the chief who had captured me, and who was called Inklanzi, the meaning of which is a fish. This name was given him because he was a very good swimmer, and could stop for a long time in the water. Inklanzi told me that on the following morning I was to be taken to the Great Chief, who perhaps might order me to be a.s.sagied; so I must be careful how I behaved.

I slept but little that night, for I feared, from what I had heard, that the Great Chief of the Zulus, merely for his amus.e.m.e.nt, might like to see how I died.

On the following morning I was called by Inklanzi to go with him to the chief's kraal. It was the largest I had yet seen. There were at least five hundred huts, the Great Chief's hut being much larger than were the others.

Round the chief's hut there were always about thirty men on guard, for every great chief feared being a.s.sa.s.sinated. It was also the law that, whenever any chief came to talk to the Great Chief, he was, on approaching to within an a.s.sagy-throw of the Great Kraal, to stop and shout ”Inkosi” three times. If he heard no reply, he was not allowed, under pain of death, to advance. If he was told to ”come,” he must still shout ”Inkosi,” until he reached the hut. This plan prevented surprise; for no stranger could even approach the hut without incurring the penalty of death, unless he shouted to announce his arrival.

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