Note 172 — Chapter XIX · REINFORCEMENTS—ISANDHLWANA REVISITED.

The above is corroborated on all main points by Mehlokazulu, son of Sihayo, who states that he was sent with three other indunas (mounted), on the morning of the 22nd, to see what the English were doing. On reporting to Tshingwayo, he said, “All right, we will see what they are going to do.” “Presently,” says Mehlokazulu, “I heard Tshingwayo give orders for the Tulwana and Ngyaza regiments to assemble. When they had done so, he gave orders for the others to assemble and advance in the direction of the English camp. We were fired on first by the mounted men, who checked our advance for some little time.” He says the soldiers were at first “in loose order,” but afterwards he saw them “massing together,” when “they fired at a fearful rate.” When the Zulus broke the infantry and closed in, they “came on to a mixed party of mounted men and infantry men,” about one hundred, who “made a desperate resistance, some firing with pistols and others using swords, and I repeatedly heard the word ‘Fire!’ given by someone. But we proved too many for them, and killed them all where they stood. When all was over I had a look at these men, and saw a dead officer, with his arm in a sling and a big moustache (Colonel Durnford, R.E.), surrounded by dead carbineers, soldiers, and other men whom I did not know.”—Vide R. E. Journal, Feb. 1880.