CAPE COLONY AND BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA. 



gha, which is the principal station of the cavalry 

 and artillery belonging to the armed frontier 

 police, and is distant forty miles north of King 

 William's Town. A severe engagement was 

 fought on December 31st, between a body of 

 40 men of the 88th and 20 police, and a large 

 body of Gaikas estimated at from 600 to 1,000. 

 In the beginning of January the Caff res were 

 swarming throughout East London division, 

 especially near the Kei. From Kongha Col. 

 Lambert, with a force 600 strong, went out 

 against them, but thought it better to defer 

 an attack until reinforcements should arrive. 

 He relieved and brought away a garrison at 

 Fort Jeupetu, and in less than an hour after- 

 ward the fort was occupied by the natives. 

 At the junction of the Isomo and the Kei the 

 Gaikas attacked the Fingoes, but were re- 

 pulsed with a considerable loss. On January 

 14th a general plan of offensive operations for 

 the attack and dispersion of the enemy was 

 set in motion. Col. Glyn's column, east of the 

 Kei, Col. Lambert's from the Kongha, reen- 

 forced by a large number of Fingoes, and Capt. 

 Brabant's East London and Chalumna Volun- 

 teers, made a simultaneous movement upon 

 the Kei and Chichaba Valleys. While Col. 

 Lambert's force drew the head of the Chi- 

 chaba Valley, the force under Capt. Brabant 

 encountered the enemy lower down. About 

 4,000 head of cattle and 10,000 sheep were 

 taken from the Caffres, and a large number 

 of the enemy killed. A continuous roar of can- 

 non and musketry was kept up from Col. Glyn's 

 column on the other side of the Kei, who took 

 from the enemy 1,000 cattle and 900 sheep. 

 The losses of the British on this occasion were 

 very small. On the 16th Capt. Brabant drove 

 them with considerable loss from the fastnesses 

 along the Kabousie River, where they had 

 concentrated their forces, and again captured 

 large numbers of cattle and sheep. Nothing of 

 importance occurred during the remainder of 

 January. A decisive victory was gained by 

 the British, however, in the beginning of Feb- 

 ruary, when on the 7th Col. Glyn and Capt. 

 Upcher inflicted a severe defeat upon the na- 

 tives at Quintana. It was undoubtedly the 

 most disastrous defeat the Caffres had met with 

 up to that time. The Galekas themselves ac- 

 knowledged severer losses than on any pre- 

 vious occasion ; and the bodies of nearly 200 

 found in front and about the position, and more 

 than an equal number afterward discovered in 

 the neighboring kloofs and ravines, attested the 

 severity of their punishment. It was known a 

 day or two previous that the enemy were col- 

 lecting in that part of the Transkei meditating 

 an attack, but it was difficult to judge which of 

 the positions, Ibeka or Quintana, they would 

 approach. Col. Glyn made dispositions to 

 meet either case. On the morning of the 7th 

 the forces of the enemy were seen approach- 

 ing, and proved to be the combined forces of 

 Kreli and Sandilli, numbering about 4,000 to 

 5,000 men. They were immediately attacked, 



and after several hours' fighting completely 

 routed. 



In the beginning of March a movement was 

 undertaken by Commandant Griffith against 

 the rebel positions on the Thomas River, and 

 the whole country from the junction of the 

 Kei to Henderson was effectually scoured, the 

 Caffres everywhere retreating. Sandilli and 

 his two sons, however, together with their fol- 

 lowers made a backward movement into the 

 colony during the succeeding night and day, 

 and, passing within a mile or two of the posts 

 at Stutterheim and Grey Town, reached with- 

 out any hindrance the Izeli and Perie Bush 

 in the famous Amatola range, thus taking pos- 

 session of their old and familiar strongholds 

 in the wars of 1846 and 1851. 



Kreli, after the disastrous battle of Quinta- 

 na, fled to Pondo Land on the Umtata River. 

 On March 14th news reached Ibeka that the 

 great Galeka warrior Kiva had taken refuge 

 in one of Kreli's hiding-places. Col. Glyn 

 immediately sent out an expedition against 

 him, which was completely successful. It took 

 Kiva completely by surprise, and during the 

 engagement Kiva and three of his brothers 

 were killed. No sooner was the news of his 

 death made known than Kreli showed signs of 

 submission. His principal councilor, Botman, 

 brought the intelligence that the great chief 

 intended to surrender in a few days. He 

 shortly after inquired on what terms peace 

 would be made. But he as well as Sandilli, 

 who made a similar inquiry, was told that no 

 conditions would be made with rebel chiefs in 

 arms against the Government. 



The mountainous region to which Sandilli 

 had retired offered all the advantages of a 

 natural fortress, occupying a space of about 30 

 miles square. At first the number of rebel 

 Gaikas in the Amatolas was not more than 

 1,000, but constant reinforcements soon raised 

 it to 3,000 or 4,000. Gen. Sir A. Cunynghame, 

 whose term had expired, was succeeded in 

 the latter part of February by Gen. Thesiger. 

 The operations of the latter were at first un- 

 successful, but he gradually reduced the terri- 

 tory occupied by the rebels. Tini Macomo, a 

 powerful chief who, after having been defeat- 

 ed near Fort Beaufort, had joined Sandilli, 

 was captured on May 27th, and, within about 

 ten days after, Sandilli himself was killed at 

 Isidengi. This virtually put an end to the war, 

 and the troops were ordered home. 



At the same time that the troubles in the 

 Transkei territory were reopened, the power- 

 ful nation of the Zooloos, under their King Cety- 

 wayo, pressed close upon the borders of Natal 

 and of the Transvaal province, along the Buffalo 

 River. This locality is distant three hundred 

 miles in a straight line to the north from the 

 Great Kei River of the Gaikas and Galekas ; 

 but the intervening provinces of Natal and 

 Bassuto Land are traversed by a chain of wild 

 mountain ranges and highlands, called the 

 Drakenberg, along which it would be possible 



