THE ZULU CAMPAIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2738, 5 September 1906, Page 18

THE ZULU CAMPAIGN.

NATIVES' BARBARITY.

Mrs H. Lohman, of Christchurch, has received (says the -Press) the following letter from -her son, who was with one of the regiments in Natal quelling the Zulu rising. It is written from Umsuzi, and dated July 19: — " Still in the field, and kept very busy. Since last writing you we have had severe tuesles with the niggers, and during the last month we accounted for at least 2000, our losses being five killed and about 20 wounded. There have been several cases of men being captured and horribly tortured. One poor chap taken had the skin taken from the soles of his feet, and was then made to walk to the chief's hut (Messini). His left arm was cut off, his upper lip and portion of one ear were hacked off for muti (medicine). The rising now eeema to be fairly general — niggers up in arms everywhere. Three days ago, when coming towards our present camp, we came across the scene of a battle fought about a week ago — niggers lying everywhere, — the sight and smell were sickening. We had to pick our way along a narrow gorge, where there are said tobe 600 bodies. There are clouds of vultures everywhere, feeding on the bodies. I am thoroughly sick of the whole business. As a proof that the niggers are fighting the Natal Inkasi only, and not the white race as a whole, the following little incident speaks for itself : —One of our chaps was in charge of a waggon coming from Stanger, and the niggers held the drivers up, and in ransacking tha waggon came across this chap — Powell by name, — who had hidden under some forage. As soon as Powell saw that he had been noticed j he sprang out of the waggon, and ran to a 6tore, about 200 yards away, Tcept by a I man named Ogilvie. The niggers p-ave chase, and caught him in the store, along with the proprietor. The young bloods

were going to torture them, when an old kehla (headsman) came up, and told the young bloods not to touch the civilian, as he had done nothing wrong to them ; that the only people they were fighting were the Government, and as Powell had on a uniform he must suffer. They then and there cut his heart out for muti. The old kehla then told Ogilvie to vookilsk, asid tell the Inkasi that he (Ndhlovu) was going to avenge the death of some of his tribe, who were killed, and whose cattle were taken away from them, through no fault of their own. This is quite true, as other chiefs (captured) have admitted they were forced to fight."