Colonel Pearson at once assembled his staff and commanding officers, when it was finally decided to hold the post, sending back to the Tugela the mounted troops and Native Contingent. These marched, unencumbered with baggage, and reached the Tugela in ten hours—a contrast with the upward march! The various buildings were loopholed, and the church prepared for use as a hospital, all tents struck, and the entrenchments supplemented by an inner line of waggons. In the evening Colonel Ely’s convoy arrived safely.
The mounted men were sent back from Etshowe, because a large proportion of the horse forage consisted of mealies, which it was thought might be required for the use of the garrison, as eventually was the case.
To replace the mounted men, a small vedette corps was formed under Lieutenant Rowden, 99th Regiment, and Captain Sherrington, of the Native Contingent, and did excellent service.
These vedettes were constantly under fire. One was killed at his post. Another was attacked by some dozen Zulus, who crept upon him through the long grass; he lost two fingers of his right hand, had a bullet through each leg and one in his right arm; his horse was assegaied; yet he managed to get back to the fort, retaining his rifle.
The vedettes being much annoyed in the early morning by the fire of some Zulus from a high hill, Captain Sherrington and six of the men went out one night and lay in wait for them, behind some rocks near the top of the hill, wounding three and putting an end to the annoyance.
Colonel Pearson felt it to be necessary to reduce the bread and grocery rations of the troops, but was enabled to increase the meat ration by a quarter of a pound, as a large number of cattle had been brought up with Colonel Ely’s convoy. The waggons of the troops sent back to the Tugela were officially searched, and a quantity of food, medicines, and medical comforts thus added to the stock, the two latter subsequently proving of the utmost value. All articles of luxury were eventually sold by auction, and fetched almost fabulous prices: matches were sold for 4s. a box, bottles of pickles 15s. each, and tobacco 30s. a pound!
The water supply was excellent, both in quality and quantity; and in the lower part of the stream bathing-places for both officers and men were constructed; and all sanitary arrangements most carefully attended to.
A waggon-laager was formed for the cattle, and every effort made to provide for the security of the fort, as we may now call it—deepening ditches, strengthening parapets, erecting stockades—all most energetically carried on under the direction of Captain Wynne, R.E.
So things went on, till, on February 9th, Zulus were observed to be collecting; but nothing occurred beyond an occasional alarm.