MARCH TO ULUNDI. 
151 
June 24th .—Marched off at 8.30. Two guns of N/5 and two com¬ 
panies 58tli Regt. were left here in Fort Evelyn. We proceeded up a 
very steep hill, and along winding grassy ridges, till we encamped 
half-way up a steep hill on the top of which General Wood was 
encamped. 
June 25th— General Wood moved off at daybreak, and at 7.45 a.m. 
I went with all our guns (now only 8) to take a position on the ridge, so as 
to cover the camp and ground below while the wagons crossed the ridge. 
General Wood’s column were still moving off the ridge when we got 
to the top, and they immediately descended into a deep ravine with a 
bad drift at the bottom where only one wagon at a time could cross. 
I saw that we should be all day here, so sent the horses to feed below 
and cooked the men’s dinners. At about 3.30 p.m., most of our 
wagons being now at the top of the ridge, I descended into the ravine, 
sending all the wagons first, and remaining as long as I could with the 
guns in position. We went up a very steep hill to our new laager, 
not three miles from that of last night, but it was nearly 8 p.m. before 
all the wagons were up. The General dispensed with an entrenchment 
round the laager, as the natural strength of the position was great, 
and the infantry had had a very hard day helping wagons up the hill. 
The artillery, both men' and horses, had an easy day, as they rested 
6 or 7 hours. An allowance of grog was issued to-night, with \ lb. 
extra meat. The ridge we crossed was called the “Ridge of the 
Little Jackal.” The scenery from it was finer than we have seen yet. 
Inhlazatye still stands out as the grandest feature, while Ibabanango 
is very prominent to our left rear. 
June‘26th .—At 8.30 a.m. some Lancers, N.N.C., and two guns JST/6 
went a few miles to our left front till we came to the edge of the high 
land overlooking a valley where there were several kraals and a good 
deal of bush, aloes, and mealie and pumpkin fields. Lord Chelmsford, 
General Wood, and Colonel Buffer with his mounted men, were here, 
and the latter descended a steep slope into the valley. We soon saw 
several kraals on fire, and from one large one about 3 miles off we saw 
about 1000 Zulus advance. We fired a shell at them, and they imme¬ 
diately turned, and then burnt their kraal—said to have been the third 
largest in the country and the oldest military kraal, having been built 
by Charka. Buffer’s men pursued the Zulus among the dongas and 
bush, and killed a few. The bush in the valley does not seem thick, 
but a great deal is aloe; trees about 5 to 7 ft. high and at about 400 
or 500 yds. off looking just like Zulus. There is a great deal of 
mimosa, which is dreadfully destructive to clothes. We encamped 
about 3 miles from last camp, and saw the mission station of 
Kwamagwasa, about 7 miles off, in flames, and all round there were 
grass fires. 
June 27th .—Marched off at 6.30 about 10 miles over fine open downs ; 
the air fresh and clear, and easy marching. JST/6, the 94th, and 21st 
got to their new camp, close to General Wood’s, about 12.30. The valley 
we saw yesterday was on our left, and an abrupt range of mountains to 
18 
