DEFENCE OF EKOWE. 459 
remembered. All orders were given in wfyispers, we seemed to glide 
along, and yet the gun-wheels creaked outrageously, or rather one 
seemed to imagine so. 
Our progress was not rapid, as halts wer<3 called continually in order 
either to overcome obstacles, or to allow OuT guide to inspect the 
country. When within half-a-mile of the kraal day^ began to 
break, and here an incident worthy of mention happened. AJtmf 
500 yds., on a hill to our left, I noticed in the dim light some kraals, 
and perceived a Zulu strolling leisurely out of one of them. For a 
few seconds he had his back to us, but quickly turning round no doubt 
espied our little force wending its way along below. He fled like a 
hare. The circumstance was at once reported to Col. Pearson, who 
sent four mounted men to try and cut him off. It was, however, too late, 
and I feel sure that the man upset our plans, for on arriving in sight 
of the military kraal some few minutes after, we saw to our disgust the 
whole Zulu “impi” streaming out of it with all their goods and 
chattels in their arms. We could hear the loud voice of the chief 
giving orders, and the cattle being driven away. We were unfor¬ 
tunately unable to bring our gun into action on them as they moved 
down a hill out of sight, but we sent our mounted men forward to take 
and burn the kraal. They found it evacuated. The rest of our force 
moved forward as rapidly as possible, and soon came in sight of the 
retreating Zulus, who were already some 1500 yds. distant, streaming 
up a hill opposite. We fired two or three rounds of shrapnel at them, 
killing and wounding about ten, but owing to the thick cover the fire 
was not very effective. The Zulus soon crowned the hill opposite, 
which overlooked the private kraal of Dabulamanzi, but Col. Pearson 
considered we should lose too many men in attempting to burn it, so 
we had to content ourselves with having destroyed the military kraal. 
We therefore retired ignominiously. Dabulamanzi afterwards informed 
me that the Zulus considered that we had received a decided reverse 
in this little expedition. They showed us indeed at the time that they 
thought so, for our retreat was closely followed. They appeared on 
the crests of hills soon after we vacated them ; took advantage of every 
patch of bush to our right and left by keeping up a hot fire on us. We 
divided our mounted men into a front and rear guard, and thus kept 
the enemy from closing in on us, but were forced to halt at intervals 
and silence them with a volley. 
It was really a pleasure to watch the manner in which these Zulus 
skirmished. No crowding, no delay, as soon as they were driven from 
one cover they would hasten rapidly to the next awkward bit of 
country through which our column would have to pass. Luckily for 
us their shooting was inferior, or we should have suffered severely. 
We arrived safely at the fort about midday. So ended the exciting 
but most unsatisfactory expedition to Dabulamanzi's kraal. 
It was on 2nd March that one of our vedettes reported that glasses 
were being flashed from the Lower Tugela. Sure enough, there was 
flashing going on as distinctly as possible. Our signallers were at once 
summoned, and were not long in reading the following message. 
