320 EXPEDITION INTO 



and, assisted heart and hand by Sopuza, a chieftain who 

 having- been subdued by the all-conquering* Chaka, impa- 

 tiently watched for an opportunity of casting" off the 3 oke, 

 they utterly routed the Zooloo troops, and returned in tri- 

 umph with the spoils ! 



Leisurely g-athering* all their forces under the g^eneralship 

 of Andries Pretorius, late field-cornet of the district of 

 Graaff Reinet, who had recently been elevated to the post 

 of their chief commandant, the emig-rants now once more 

 girded up their loins for the fig'ht, and prepared to strike the 

 last great coup-de-main of veng-eance which was to decide 

 their destiny. Fully bent on the demolition of the remnant 

 of the Zooloo nation, six hundred horsemen, supported by 

 four pieces of lig'ht ordnance, encamped on the nig-ht of the 

 15th of December, within a ring* fence formed by their 

 wao'o-ons at the distance of a few hours' ride from Unkun- 

 king-love. But neither on this occasion did the enemy wait 

 to be attacked. Ten thousand sable warriors, stimulated by 

 yells and war whoops, encircled the camp before dawn the 

 following- morning- ; not fewer than two hundred of their 

 number being" equipped with muskets. A succession of 

 furious onsets terminated in their repulsion with incredible 

 slaug-hter, the equestrian pursuit that followed their dis- 

 comfiture, trebling" the carnag"e. Mown down by the de- 

 structive independent fire of the Boors, ag-ainst which the 

 frail ox-hide targets of the fug-itives formed no sort of pro- 

 tection : and unable when they rallied, to close with their 

 mounted pursuers : between four and five thousand lion- 

 hearted warriors fell under the deadly aim of the emig-rants, 

 and thickly strewed the battle-field — this sig-nal and decisive 

 victory, by which the neck of the Zooloo power was effectu- 

 ally broken, being' purchased at the disproportionate expense 

 of three farmers slig'htly wounded, Pretorius their leader 

 forming' one of their number. 



