45 Gi 
DEFENCE OF EKOWE. 
wagon on tlie alarm being given, having been taught on several 
occasions the folly oi jumping up. 
I can safely say that for the first fortnight of our imprisonment at 
Ekowe there was a scare every night, during the rest of our stay there 
they occurred at intervals. As a rule the cry was false alarm. One 
night for instance I remember hearing a rifle shot, followed quickly by 
two or three more; in an instant the gunners were at their posts on the 
guns and the infantry lining the parapet, for we all slept in our clothes. 
These shots were quickly followed by a rattle of musketry along one 
face of the fort; so sure were we (the gunners) that the Zulus had 
made an attack that we produced the case shot. However, in a few 
seconds the firing ceased, and the cause of the alarm inquired into. 
The answer was, “ Please sir the sentry distinctly saw a Zulu loitering 
about round that bush outside.” The real cause of the scare being a 
pair of sailor's ducks which were hanging up to dry on a bush, having 
been blown about by the wind. Next morning we discovered those 
articles riddled with bullet holes, which at least spoke well for the 
shooting! 
Reveille sounded at daybreak, and we then commenced to work at the 
entrenchments, while “ last post ” sounded at 8 p.m., at which hour lights 
were at once extinguished. Our rations at first consisted of flour, biscuit, 
tea, sugar, and meat. The two excellent officers of the “ Buffs ” (my 
messmates) and I divided our rations as follows. At breakfast toasted 
biscuit and tea, at mid-day meal the same, and at dinner our meat and 
anything our soldier-cook could make out of the flour. At first his 
cakes were most indigestible, as we had no baking powder, but he 
improved as time went on. Occasionally, when our troops made a 
raid on the Zulu mealie fields, a large supply was brought into camp, 
we then had an entree of roast mealies, while we made the green tops 
into an excellent vegetable. 
The 2000 head of cattle in our charge were a source of great trouble 
and inconvenience. During the day they were driven to the grazing 
ground under escort of two companies of infantry, while at dusk they 
were drawn in close round and under fire of the fort. A large number 
were placed in a wagon laager, the sides of which were enfiladed from 
the parapet, and the remainder tied down to their yokes. The horses 
and the mules were at first picketed outside, but as we soon became 
aware of their immense value we constructed a stable in the ditch, and 
had them driven there at night, by means of a ramp cut in the counter 
scarp. The stench at night then may be easier imagined than described, 
thus surrounded by cattle on the outside, and packed like herrings 
within. But in the daytime the men were encouraged to keep outside 
the fort as much as possible in their leisure hours, while the blacks were 
positively forbidden to enter the fort till nightfall, and were driven out 
at daybreak; our sanitary arrangements being exceedingly well 
managed, and the greatest attention was given to them by all hands. 
As regards ammunition there was a plentiful supply so we now felt per- 
