Death of the Prince Imperial.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 842, 23 July 1879, Page 2

Death of the Prince Imperial.

FULLER PARTICULARS;

By the arrival of the Lusitania, which arrived at Sydney on the Bth of July, we have Cape news to the 10th June, and are therefore able to give fuller details of the melancholy death of the young Prince than was supplied by cablegram.

Accounts of the manner in which the Prince Imperial met his death are extremely conflicting. The first statement was that the Prince accompanied a party from General Wood's camp, and after riding some distance the party dismounted in a mealie field. When about to remount, the Zulus, who crept up unobserved, fired their first volley, and the Prince fell mortally wounded. A few days before, the Prince, while out with a few officers, was surrounded, only escaping by putting Jus horse at a steep krantz, The official account of his death states that on the alarm of the Zulus 1 appearance the reconnoitreing party all mounted, but in the general flight dispersed in different directions, the Prince and two others riding into a deep donga, where more of the enemy were I concealed. There they met their death. It is stated that the alarm was given first by a Kaffir who was sent to the river for water. The Prince, who commanded the party, consisting of Captain Carey, 78 regulars 60 of Beddington's Horse, aud one Kaffir, gave orders to mount, but had scarcely spoken the words when a volley killed a trooper, so frightening the Prince's horse that he was unable to mount, though he frequently attempted. After running a great distance by his horse's side, he was overtaken by the Zulus and assegaied. His body was eventually found in the donga. It is hinted that the body suffered mutilation, but there is not the slightest evidence of this. He received assegai wounds,. and a part of his clothing was removed. A religious token round his neck was untouched. His watch and ring were found near the spot. Captain Carey and the troopers rode towards the camp, meeting General Wood about three miles distant. The following morning a strong cavalry patrol recovered the body. The occurrence took place on ground covered by the British forces two days before, and believed to be entirely deserted by the enemy. On recovering the body, it was wrapped in rugs and conveyed along the British lines on a gun-carriage, Lord Chelmaford acting as chief mourner.

The Rev., Father Bellard, Roman Catholic chaplain, read the funeral service, and the same evening the remains were enclosed in a rough coffin and conveyed to Maritzburg. At every villiage passed on the road tributes of respect -were paid to the cortege. On the entrance to Maribiburg the coffin was transferred to a gun. carriage, and a procession, of all the regulars and Volunteers available was formec\ After the gun-carriage followed the Prince's charger, the Lieutenant-Go vernor of Najbal, the Colonial Secretary, General Clifford;' and/otheri ' The bbdv was placed in the Catholic Chapel until reiflo ve~d'~in a ■ Britieh man-of-war to Simon's Bay. The death of the Prince created a profound regret throughput the Colony, and the festivities in honour of Sir Bartle Frere,s return to Cape Town were postponed. , General Lord Ghelrasford was not cognisant of the Prince's having gone ; with the patrol. I A third statement throws grave j discredit on the gallantry of those who I accompanied the Prince. The statement ie that; Captain Garey, in whose charge the expedition waa, was met by General Wood galloping back to camp' with a statement that his party had been attacked, .evidently under the impression the Zulu army was following them. Only after he had made the statement did he seem to discover that his whole party had not got away, and that the Prince Imperial was among the missing. He was upbraided On what was styled his unofficerlike conduct. The feeling in camp on learning of the occurrence was intense. •

Another account says that a volley fired into the reconnoitreing parfrjr startled the horses of the Prince and two others. The horses broke away, leaving the Prince and two men on foot within 30 yards of the Zulus, who rushed upon them and slew them. It is stated that others Who Succeeded in getting into their saddles turned arid called to their comrades, ibut the Prince told them to fly for their' lives and hot mind him. He then rairfts fast as he could, but the "thre& were soon overtaken and assagiaed, the Psinee having 17, assegai, wounds. When his body was recovered' he had his right hand under his left shoulder, r with an assegai wound through' ' sib into the shoulder. »• .4 Jvj j -....- ; Acoart t)f inquiry. has be^ ordered into the circumstances of, the oeatk of the Prince. It is reported p <3aj>tain Carey will be pourtmartiaUed. • E "i Latest news from the 1 jOape says that two columns of Lancers andDragoibs visited the battle<Beld»qf , Isandula T&h May 22th, destroying all the kraals on the road. The bodies at , the fallen troops were much flec'dniposkd, and few were recognisible ; but the^errible ,talea of mutilation are not trite. Yery few had been soalpedj' but'sorife Were stripped of their clothing/ ;, ; : . _ Colonel Durnford's body tLJß^nd, surrounded by bodies of* office^^pi boldiets. He had evidently been assegaied. The report J^hat h» had returned ; to his tent and committed suicide is false. V I : The bodies of the Zulu dead had [ apparently been thrown into a neighbouring gully. ; ' : '