The White Chief of the Caffres

by Alfred W. Drayson

A day passed without any signs of the Zulus, but at daybreak on the second day a Caffre runner came shouting that the Zulus were crossing the Umganie river. We made a rush for the boats, and were soon all on board the schooner, where we waited, each with a gun, to see what the Zulus would do. The army moved rapidly and swept down on the settlement, and burnt the huts, but they did not find a living human being. Seeing the ship, they came down to the beech, and shouted to us to come on shore. I knew they had no guns; so, ascending the rigging, I called to the leading chief, and said: “Tell the Zulu dog that he is not cunning enough. He sent me to the Pongola, so that he might murder the white men without my knowing what he was going to do; but I came before you to tell them. You may now go back again.”

A yell arose from the Zulus when they heard this and recognised me, and a hundred men dashed in the water and swam towards the ship. We allowed these to come close and then fired at them, killing or wounding several; the remainder then swam back to the shore and concealed themselves in the wood. I knew the Zulus too well to believe they would give up at once trying to kill the white men, and so I told my companions. We therefore kept watch all day and all night, and it was lucky we did so; for, just before daybreak on the following day, the Zulus again entered the water and swam silently to the ship. The sailors, however, had now made a very useful weapon: they had procured some large, heavy stones, which they had sown up in canvas and fastened to long ropes. These they threw on the Zulus, and stunned or sunk them. They could haul the stones up again and throw them again. Except by the cable there was no means by which the Zulus could climb into the ship, so we could kill them just as we liked.

Finding they could do nothing against people in a ship, the Zulus withdrew; and we thought that, as we did not see anything of them for three days, they must have left Natal.

I felt quite certain that the chiefs would not give up trying to kill the white men, for if they returned to the Great Zulu Chief without being successful, some of them would be assagied to a certainty. At the end of the three days the white men were desirous of going on shore, to see what remained of their goods. I tried to persuade them not to venture, but they replied that three days had now passed and not a Zulu had been seen; so it was not likely that any were near Natal. But this was the very reason why I thought it likely that they were waiting for a chance. I told the white men so; but they only laughed at me and said, “These niggers are off home now.” Thinking that I might be of use in keeping a better look-out than the white men, I went on shore with those who landed. Six of them got in a boat, and pulled up the bay, and landed near where their huts had stood. The remaining men stayed on board the schooner. There was not a Zulu to be seen anywhere, and we walked to the remains of the huts, which we found entirely destroyed.

At a short distance from these huts was some thick bush through which was a narrow path. This path led to some open ground where the cattle belonging to the settlers used to graze. The white men were anxious to see whether the Zulus had destroyed or carried off their cattle, and so entered this path through the wood. Knowing the usual practises of the Zulus, I thought this a very dangerous proceeding; but my caution only made the white men say, “Don’t be afraid, we ain’t.”

Just before we entered the bush, I saw on the sand several footprints of men, quite fresh. These footprints had been made after the last dew had fallen, so I knew it was not very long since the men who had made them must have passed over the ground. I called to the white men in front of me to stop, as I had seen fresh footprints of Zulus; but they replied that I couldn’t tell when these had been made, and as I was afraid I fancied these dangers.

Scarcely had they spoken when there was a rustling noise in the bushes, and in an instant about fifty Zulus sprang on to the path, surrounded the white men, and assagied them instantly. Seeing this, I dived into the bush, and during the noise crept through the bush and made my escape towards the shore. I hoped to reach the boat that had brought us from the ship; but, on coming within sight of it, I saw it was in possession of the Zulus. So my retreat by that means was cut off. The distance from where I was to the nearest part of the shore to the ship was nearly two miles, and there was dense bush nearly the whole way. To attempt to work my way through this bush would have been a most dangerous proceeding, for it is impossible to move in the bush without making a noise; and the Zulus were certain to have placed men on watch in this bush, so that an assagy stab would be the first thing that would acquaint me of the presence of a Zulu. Soon after I had joined the white men, they had given me clothes to wear, so the Zulus would distinguish me now at a great distance. To lie concealed in the bush was, I knew, of but little use; for they would follow my trail and surround me just as they were accustomed to surround a lion. As soon as I had seen that the boat was in possession of the Zulus, I had concealed myself in the bush to consider what to do; and I decided to work my way up the coast about a mile, and then take to the beach and try to reach the ship that way. Just as I had made up my mind to do this, I saw a large party of Zulus marching from where they had killed the white men towards the boat; and I noticed that they had put on the clothes of the men they had killed, and at a distance might have been mistaken for white men.

I lay still till all these men had passed, and watched their proceedings. They sat down near the boat, and seemed to be having a talk about something of importance. I tried to think what I should propose had I been at the meeting, and the Zulus my friends; and, knowing the Zulu tactics, I believed I could tell what they said almost as well as if I heard them. My idea was that they would wait till it was dark, and then get into the boat and pull to the ship; and, by the aid of the clothes they wore, pretend to be white men, and get on board the ship. If the men on board were not on their guard, this plan would very likely succeed; and, knowing how careless and unsuspicious the white men were, I believed the chances were in favour of the Zulus succeeding in their attempt.

From none of the Zulus having followed me, I believed it possible that they had not seen me before I rushed into the bush, when my companions were attacked; but I knew the habits of the Zulus too well to be certain about this. They had often told me that the best means to come within assagy-range of a buck was to walk slowly round him, gradually narrowing the circle, but never looking at him, and pretending that something in the distance attracted your attention; then, when near enough, rush forward towards the buck and throw the assagy.

If the Zulus had seen me, they must know I was concealed somewhere; and the best method of capturing or assagying me was to set several men to watch the country, and to remain perfectly concealed and quiet. This plan they had already adopted for three days, and had succeeded in trapping half of the white men. My best chance, therefore, was to remain quiet until it was dark and then to attempt to reach the ship before the Zulus could do so.