26 KAFFIE MANOSUVKES. 



Lieutenant-Colonel Napier evidently does not consider 

 a man who carries weight ought to be matched against 

 one unhampered by such a retarding influence, and he 

 appears also to believe a man would be able both to fight 

 and to march better, if he were not half-choked, or 

 half-crushed, by his accoutrements. In olden times, the 

 armour of a knight, whilst it so fettered him as to almost 

 prevent him from injuring his enemy, still protected his 

 own person. The trappings of the British soldier of the 

 present day merely perform the former half of this service. 



The Kaffir is accustomed to act on his own respon- 

 sibility, is full of self-confidence, and is a kind of 

 independent machine in himself; the common English 

 soldier is trained not to think for himself, but to do what 

 he is ordered, no more, no less. When, therefore, he 

 finds himself separated from his companions, which 

 frequently happens in bush- fighting, surrounded by a 

 dense thicket, a brier under his arm, a mimosa-thorn 

 sticking in his leg, and half a dozen wait-a-bits holding 

 his raiment fast, there is but little blame due to him if he 

 is assagied by his unseen dark-hided foe, who has been 

 long watching for this opportunity. 



When provisions or stores are sent from one part to 

 another, the ox-waggon of the country is made use of. 

 A convoy of twenty waggons, and sometimes more, are 

 sent together, an escort of fifty or one hundred men 

 acrompanying it. These waggons, each with its team 

 of oxen, cover a great distance, and the road being 

 frequently lined with bush, impenetrable except to a 

 Kaffir, several opportunities of course occur for advan- 



