84 EXPEDITION INTO 



hurried off, upon the fiat of their ruthless and unappeasable 

 master^ to be impaled as a warning- beacon to future expe- 

 ditions. 



In all civilized countries cowardice in the army is very 

 properly punished with death^ the testimony of g-uilt having- 

 first been fully established ; but Chaka was neither remark- 

 able for his nice discrimination^ nor for his minute investi- 

 g-ation of a charg-e preferred. On one occasion in particular^ 

 a whole reg-iment was indiscriminately butchered, tog-ether 

 with the wives and families of the warriors that composed it 

 ■ — and who, although they had foug-ht with sig-nal bravery^ 

 had been overpowered by superior numbers, and thus com- 

 pelled to retreat. The scene of this revolting- tragedy was 

 designated Umhoolalio, or " the place of slaug-hter/' in order 

 to perpetuate its recollection in the minds of the people. 

 But defeat was of rare occurrence. The predictions of the 

 monarch were speedily verified by the success that attended 

 his arms ; and the fame of his troops spread rapidly over 

 the whole country. Every tribe they encountered became 

 an easy conquest j and no quarter being- g-iven, the inhabi- 

 tants at once abandoned their villa g-es and property to the 

 mercy and rapacity of their insatiable invaders. Thus did 

 Chaka spread devastation and terror throug-hout the whole 

 country, from the Mapoota as low as the Umzimfoobo, or 

 St. John's River. Tribe after tribe was invaded, routed_, and 

 mercilessly butchered : their huts were fired over their de- 

 voted heads^ and the few that escaped of ruined inmates, 

 were driven to seek shelter in the depths of the forest — either 

 to perish fi-om hung-er and want — to become a prey to wild 

 beasts — or to be ultimately hunted down by the relentless 

 and sanguinary Zooloo. 



