Note 321 — XXI.

This referred to the bags of earth and barbed-wire that had been placed by N.P. along the verandah of the court-house. As Dinuzulu was known to be calling up an indefinite number of young men from neighbouring Chiefs, on the pretext of hoeing his gardens, it is not surprising the police, being a small military body, felt it necessary to entrench themselves. One of the Chiefs appealed to by Dinuzulu, Maboko by name, who had two years previously married a sister of Dinuzulu, deposed as follows (24th Jan., 1908): "Just after the first body of troops (i.e. the Police Reserves) had arrived and camped at Nongoma, Dinuzulu sent me ... the following message: That the Amakosi (meaning troops, not the main body) had arrived at Nongoma, and he, therefore, asked me to send boys of my tribe to him to do hoeing. These boys were to bring their weapons (izikali) with them. They were to come stealthily (nyenya) by twos and threes. The boys of the Mavalana and Hayelwengwenya regiments were said to be the ones required.... In reply, I said: 'I cannot comply with Dinuzulu's request, having regard to the fact that European forces have just arrived at Nongoma, and seeing that Dinuzulu requires these boys to go to him armed.'"—Cd. 3,998, p. 69.