The troops would not have withdrawn from the neighbourhood of Byrnetown had it not been clear that the best method to adopt with the remaining rebels was to continue to hold Mveli responsible for their capture. As a matter of fact, Mveli and the majority of his tribe were loyal. Apart from this, they had a motive of their own and, therefore, needed no urging. This motive was, of course, to avenge themselves in some way on the Ethiopians, with whom they had the deep-seated, ten-years' difference dealt with at the beginning of the chapter. A further reason for imposing the onus was that the rebels were concealed in a part of the country with which the whole of Mveli's tribe were intimately acquainted. That McKenzie was right in the action he took will be seen further on.
An Inspector of Native Locations (Thomas Fayle) was, about this time, killed at his house, some three miles from Henley, probably by lightning. The death was regarded by some as a murder, connected in some way with the outbreak, seeing it occurred but a few days after the attack on the police, and only a short distance from Trewirgie.
Other intelligence that was received went to show that people living in Richmond division, under a headman, Mamba, but belonging to Chief Miskofeli, under the belief that an attempt was to be made to arrest their Chief, responded to some extent to a call to arms circulated on the night of the 12th. On the following day, certain headmen passed Thedden, the residence of Mr. W. Nicholson, but, finding him absent, used some expressions regarding him which were interpreted at the trial later on to signify an intention to have killed him had he been at home.
Owing to the disrespect that had recently been shown by Natives to the Magistrate of Richmond when explaining the poll tax at Mid-Illovo, the Minister for Native Affairs (The Hon. H.D. Winter) caused another meeting to be convened at the same place to afford himself an opportunity of addressing the Chiefs on the same subject. It was fixed for the 13th. On the day previous, it transpired that some of Tilonko's people had taken up arms either to offer resistance or act in some more daring and even aggressive manner. The probabilities are that they felt their Chief was about to be arrested and intended resisting, if any such attempt were made. Needless to say, the idea had never entered the mind of the Government. Notwithstanding this intelligence, having made the appointment, Mr. Winter proceeded to keep it, and this in spite of warning as to the risks he was apparently running. On arrival at Mid-Illovo, accompanied by Mr. S.O. Samuelson, Under Secretary for Native Affairs, he found that three Chiefs and a large gathering of Natives had already assembled. The European inhabitants of that part were in a lager, which consisted of wire entanglements erected round a church. The Chiefs, with six men each, were directed to enter a larger wire-fence enclosure, within which the church and lager stood, leaving the rest of their followers seated along the road a short distance off. After Mr. Winter had taken them to account, one by one, for unruly behaviour to the Magistrate, and one of them for having resorted to certain practices of a treasonable character, and had further fully explained the poll tax, they asked for a day to be named on which the tax could be paid by those liable therefor. The matter was thereupon referred to the Magistrate, who met with no further difficulty. It was in respect of this and other occurrences incidental to the tours made by Mr. Winter to different parts of Natal and Zululand at this critical time that the Governor referred to him as having "behaved with conspicuous calmness and courage," an opinion shared by others as well.
In view of the fact that, as daily arriving information showed, disaffection was not confined to Trewirgie or Mid-Illovo, it became necessary for McKenzie's force to demonstrate in other directions, especially on the south of the Umkomanzi and towards Ixopo. At the same time, the Government was most anxious that the troops should be kept well in hand, and not to put the people to more inconvenience than was absolutely necessary. To this end, on the 17th, the Commandant of Militia instructed McKenzie in the following terms: "On Monday next, the 19th instant, you will march with all your mounted men and one or two sections of artillery from Richmond to Springvale, crossing Umkomanzi by the Josephine bridge, thence to Highflats, and thence to Ixopo. From Ixopo you will proceed to Mabedhlana, thence to Bulwer and Elandskop.... You will send two men with a message to Miskofeli and other Chiefs on your route before your forces approach their neighbourhood, assuring them that they need fear nothing from the column.... You will take care that nothing is done by your force to provoke an outbreak on the part of the Natives. If Miskofeli does not come and pay his respects to you ... you will take this as a sign of fear, or as indicating that he is not as loyal to the Government as he professes to be; you will, however, take no action until you have gone on and given some of the smaller Chiefs an opportunity of coming to see you...."
These instructions were carried out to the letter, except that, instead of proceeding from Ixopo to Bulwer and Elandskop, it became necessary for the column to demonstrate in the direction of the south coast.
Leaving the Natal Royal Regiment to garrison Richmond,[113] with Lieut.-Col. J. Weighton as officer in command of the post, McKenzie moved off at 9 a.m. on the 19th with the rest of the force. He crossed the Umkomanzi river and camped in the neighbourhood of the farm Waterfall. The next day the march was continued through the heart of Miskofeli's ward to Springvale. Owing to the country being hilly, and the roads difficult, the guns and waggons stuck fast several times.
At Springvale, Miskofeli, who was a man of about 25 years of age and head of a powerful tribe, came with a small following to pay his respects.[114] This satisfactory result was brought about through the efforts of a well-known local resident, Mr. Garland, whose services the Officer Commanding was fortunately able to secure.[115]
From Springvale, the column went to Highflats, where intelligence was received that Miskofeli and three other Chiefs of that part had originally arranged, and to some extent prepared, to break out in rebellion on the 18th, but, on hearing that troops had arrived in Richmond and were ready to advance, their plans were upset.