THE ZULU WAR

Otago Witness, Issue 1422, 22 February 1879, Page 7

THE ZULU WAR

(Pall Mall Guzjtte, December 20.)

Natal contains^ native population estimated at 300,000 of Zulu nationality, while its European and Coolie inhabitants number together some 40,000. On the south, in its immediate neighbourhood, are the Basutos, who are British subjects living under the jurisdiction of a chief magistrate appointed by the Cape Government. Between them and the sea on the Natal boundary the country belongs to the numerous Amapondo tribe, for the present^ friendly, but believed to be in communication with the disaffected natives, and watching the course of events. To the noith, adjoining the Colonial boundary for nearly 200 miles, is the Zulu country. The Zulus are the moat warlike tribe with which we are likely to have any encounter in South Africa. They are subject to a military despotism as grinding in its tyranny as any existing in Europe. They are a nation of soldiers, and from the time each man becomes capable of bearing arms until disqualified by old age, their lives are ruled by military considerations. To work is beneath a warrior's dignity, unless it be in furtherance of a warlike object. The fields are cultivated by their women ; the occupation of the men, when not engaged in drill, is hunting. Cetewayo, ths Zulu King, can, it is said, put into tho field from 40,000 to 60,000 warriors, armed more or less with guns, organised in regiments, and accustomed to execute concerted movements. The organisation itself, due to the skill and geniua of Chaka, the present King's deceased uncle, and founder of the nation, was necessary te prevent their annihilation, while yet a young nation, by the neighbouring tribes, whom they afterwards conquered one by one. But now, the necessity which called it into operation having passed away, it is simply a machine for the generation of power, whose energy, now long pent up by the presence of the British, has had no outlet, and therefore threatens to force the King into war or subject his country to a revolution. Cetewayo is a really formidable potentate ; and if the war . breaks out, as it probably wil), the skill of Lord Chelmßford will be severely taxed to enable the small forces at bis disposal, scattsred as tfcey are over a large extent of country, to withstand the Zulu onset. Secocceni, Cetewayo's vassal, who in 1876 proved too powerful for the late Boer Republic, has for some time been engaged in hostilities against us in the Transvaal, and has kept the troops and volunteers available there fully employed. On one occasion, with the aid of superior numbers, he even succeeded in driving back the Colonial forces. But for the great part he has confined himself to night-attacks and cattle-lif tiDg ; while witli the 10,000 warriors he can command, he has entrenched himself on one of the inaccessible mountains which abound in the south-eastern part of the Transvaal. His retreat is upon certain large caves situated in a steep mountain, the sides of which are defended by parallel stone walls, increasing in strength as the top is approached. To storm the position is impossible without a greater loss of lifo than with small forpes is advisable. To starve him out will be tedious, as he is reported to be well supplied with food and water. The com-mander-in-chief is said to have lately suspended all operations against Secocceui until he has settled the impending Zulu difficulty. The danger, however, does not lie exclusively in the amount of damage Cetewayo may be able to inflict, great as that is. The South African native worships visible power, and the greater cause for anxiety is that a combination of all the disaffected tribes may be formed under Zulu leadership. Such a combination has been hitherto made impossible by petty tribal jealousies, and many have affected to disbelieve its possibility. But the betterinformed men of the Colony have considered that the danger might become a reality in the event of some occurrence that would deeply Btir native feeling. They have observed that a great change has come over native

opinion— that the collapse of the Transvaal Republic first broke the spell which the invariable victories of the colonists had established. A notion, moreover, has got abroad among the natives that their inferiority was simply due to their want of guns and ammunition- Hence for many years they have been accumulating firearms ; and not only have they acquired them, but a fair understanding of their use. These far from unintelligent savages saw, too, that much of their weakness arose from one tribe being played off against another. For some years, therefore, they have been and are now attempting to bring about an alliance of the native race 3. Messengers have been and are constantly passing between Cetewayo and other chiefs with the hardly concealed object of bringing about a combination hostile to the supremacy of white men. Events are being watched by all the disaffected tribes, and one serious disaster may bring about the conflagration, to avoid wnich every sacrifice ought to be made. On the other hand, if the impending struggle is once successfully ended, it may by the execution of a firm and fearlessly just native policy, lead to the final establishment of our power and the beginning of a prosperous era for all South Africa.