The loyal Chief Sibindi, who had been ordered on the 4th to guard the border as well as the Tugela drifts, co-operated generally on the east with his levy of about 1,000 men. His orders were to advance as far as the Biggarsberg main road, about a mile from Bambata's hiding-place, as soon as the guns opened fire.
A report came in about noon that Bambata had vacated his ward, proceeded south-east on to the high veld, and then turned into Gayede's ward. There being no confirmation of this, Leuchars continued the operations. He subsequently withdrew to bivouack for the night at Warwick's farm.[146]
On the following day (Sunday), Sibindi was sent back into the thorns, supported by a squadron U.M.R. (100), under Major S. Carter, with instructions to complete the bush driving. The Reserves occupied a ridge north-west of Mpanza valley. Owing to Sibindi's men being too tired, on reaching Marshall's hotel at 4 p.m., to go further that day, Carter camped with him on an old mealie garden immediately behind Marshall's. By 9 a.m. on the 9th, all the troops being in position, Bambata's stronghold, about three miles north-west of Marshall's, was surrounded. It was found vacated, with evidences about it of quite recent occupation by a considerable force. The rough and very thickly-wooded country in the neighbourhood of Mpanza was thoroughly scoured in different directions on the 9th, 10th and other days; the kraals of rebels were burnt and their stock seized. Many, who had, in various ways, managed to hold aloof from the insurgents, were met with. In consequence of being at their kraals within the area of operations, notwithstanding warning to be outside, several narrowly escaped being shot. The crops, not having quite matured, had not been reaped. Those belonging to, and abandoned by, the rebels, were given to the loyalists. The Reserves were demobilized on the 10th, whilst the artillery and infantry withdrew to Greytown on the same day, followed by the U.M.R. on the 11th.
The intelligence that Bambata had fled to Zululand had been fully confirmed by the 10th. The advisability of pursuing the fugitives was thereupon considered by Leuchars. Quick pursuit is undoubtedly in accordance with Native tactics on such occasions, but Leuchars believed it was part of the rebels' plans to decoy his force to Nkandhla and thereby afford the remainder and larger portion of Bambata's tribe, say, in combination with Silwana's people, an opportunity of attacking Greytown and the many outlying European homesteads. Proof of the possibility of such attack lay in the fact of Bambata's force having concealed itself a few weeks previously in Layman's trees, on the day other members of the tribe went to pay the poll tax in Greytown.
Leuchars, however, had other and broader grounds for advising against troops being sent from Natal at this critical moment. To have withdrawn a large portion of the Active Militia would have been to place all civilized portions of the Colony in jeopardy, especially as no Imperial troops were available. The Matabeles, it will be remembered, rose in rebellion in 1896 when the greater portion of the Chartered Company's forces were absent in connection with the Jameson Raid (December, 1895).[147]
The ways and means of dealing with the situation at Nkandhla were fully considered by the Commandant and the Government, when it was decided to employ irregular troops in Zululand, and so obviate as much as possible the necessity of withdrawing the local Militia. Hence the Commandant's instructions to Leuchars were to remain where he was.
Journeying due east, concealed by the dense bush and rugged hills everywhere to be met with, Bambata, after emerging from the valleys, passed through a farm gate, and, travelling a short distance along a road, branched off to the left, making down through Chief Gayede's location and along the lower part of the Dimane stream, a tributary of the Tugela. He had about 150 men with him, including Magwababa (then a prisoner), Mgombana, Cakijana and Moses. It was when he had well-nigh reached the Tugela river that the guns above referred to were heard by the party booming in the distance. Magwababa, on account of having a bad knee, had, by that time, fallen into the rear. In addition to tying him, the rebels had, with a stone, struck and bruised the inner side of his knee, to prevent his running away. About noon on Saturday, he succeeded in eluding his guards; he made his way direct to the Krantzkop magistracy, and was shortly afterwards conveyed from there to Greytown by post-cart. Although a list of the rebels with Bambata had already been partially obtained, Magwababa helped to complete it, besides giving other useful information.
Near the Tugela Rand, and about ten miles from Krantzkop, the fugitives, about noon, came to a store in charge of one John Jenner. Their behaviour was orderly. After the main body had passed the store, which it did forthwith, one who appeared to be an induna, purchased a pair of long stockings, a white handkerchief, also two bottles of lemonade. A few, who were in rear, stayed about fifteen minutes, when they moved on after the others in the direction of the Tugela. It was noticed that the men, who were not known by the storekeeper to be from Mpanza, had eight or ten guns of various kinds, whilst others carried shields and assegais. Two only were mounted. A number had white ostrich feathers stuck in their hair. They had pushed on quickly, because afraid of being overtaken.
Proceeding down the Dimane by footpaths, they crossed the Tugela into Chief Mpumela's ward by the Mtambo drift, probably less frequented by Europeans than any between the junction of the Tugela with the Buffalo and Middle Drift. It is about equidistant from the only two drifts possible for wheeled transport in that section of the river, being not less than fifteen miles from each, and in a mountainous, rocky, unsurveyed and unknown region. The party crossed whilst Leuchars' artillery was still engaged firing at various targets in Mpanza valley. Thus Leuchars did not get the report of Bambata's alleged escape until after the latter had entered Zululand!