Bambata went at once to Ntshelela's kraal,[148] where he demanded a beast, threatening to drive the whole herd home and help himself unless the owner complied. The latter selected a young animal; but Bambata, dissatisfied with what he considered the man's niggardly disposition, immediately chose one of the largest; this he then shot on the spot. The flesh was partaken of by the fugitives who, late the same afternoon (7th), passed on to the kraal of Mangati, another son of Godide. Mangati gave them a goat.
After passing the night at Mangati's, the party pushed on, early on Sunday morning, viâ certain kraals, to that of Simoyi in the mouth of Mome gorge, on the edge of the Nkandhla forests, and within a mile of the ancient and redoubtable stronghold.[149] The journey from Mpanza to the Mome, forty to fifty miles, for the most part over extremely rugged country, had been performed within about thirty-six hours, including rests. And so the torch that had been lit in Natal, with surprisingly small loss to the insurgents, was swiftly carried with audacity and success into a district whose people had no cause whatever of grievance against the Government peculiar to themselves.
Sigananda's people had, indeed, as recently as the preceding January, expostulated with the Magistrate in a violent and disrespectful manner because required to pay the poll tax. They were brought to trial, but discharged with a caution.[150] Difficulty had also been experienced in procuring (as had previously been done from time to time) a few labourers for the Public Works department. The Magistrate had been obliged to inflict a small fine on the Chief's principal son, Ndabaningi, for neglecting to obey a summons. As regards Sigananda himself, it was found that, on account of his great age, he was no longer capable of satisfactorily managing the tribe. The Commissioner for Native Affairs (Mr., now Sir, Charles Saunders, K.C.M.G.), accordingly visited Empandhleni on the 2nd April and discussed the position with Ndabaningi, who represented the Chief, and the indunas, when the meeting concurred with the Commissioner in thinking that Ndabaningi should be authorized to act on behalf of his father. "I told the indunas," says Mr. Saunders, "that there was no objection on my part to recommending Ndabaningi's appointment, but before submitting such a recommendation for the consideration of Government, it was necessary that the question be considered by Sigananda and the heads of the tribe who, if they were of the same opinion, should make a formal representation in this respect to me at Eshowe on my return from the Usutu kraal, whence I was then proceeding."[151]
When F.E. van Rooyen, Chief Leader of the Krantzkop Reserves, heard on the 6th that Leuchars proposed operating at Mpanza on the following day, he arranged with about twenty of his men, not then mobilized and but few of them armed, to go and watch the operations. They left an hour before dawn. Just after sunrise, they ascertained that a body of Natives had been seen the same morning making towards the Dimane stream. On further investigation, it transpired that the party consisted of Bambata's people. The Magistrate, on being advised, wired the information to headquarters. Van Rooyen volunteered, if reinforced, to follow up and contain the rebels. The offer was accepted, and support promised. He was accordingly instructed to mobilize. At 9.30 a.m. on the 8th, the fifty-four men that had come in, left and, crossing the Tugela at Watton's drift, were not long in finding unmistakable traces of the fugitives. It seemed at first as if they had made for the Qudeni forests.[152] Van Rooyen went on to Ntingwe store, actually crossing, without knowing it, the route that had been taken the day before by Bambata. He at once communicated his intelligence to the Magistrate, Empandhleni, and, leaving Ntingwe at 2 a.m. on the 9th, reached Empandhleni with his men at 6 a.m. Shortly after his arrival, word came that Bambata was encamped at the Mome gorge. By this time, about thirty of the Z.M.R. had mobilized and were at Empandhleni. Van Rooyen proposed that the rebels should be at once attacked. To this course, the commanding officer (Major W.A. Vanderplank), who arrived in the evening, would not agree, on the ground that the local Chiefs had not been ordered to arm. Van Rooyen made other efforts in the direction of aggressive action by European troops, but, meeting with no success, left with his men on the morning of the 10th to protect the European families at Krantzkop against a possible rising in that part of the country.
After serving under Leuchars from the 5th to 7th, Mansel decided to detach himself and to follow Bambata. His strength then was 175 N.P. and 77 Nongqai. He advised Leuchars of what he was doing, but asked approval of action which, as a matter of fact, had already been taken before the commanding officer had sanctioned it. But, although getting away from Leuchars as quickly as Van Rooyen did from Krantzkop, Mansel did not reach Empandhleni until at least three and a half days after the former, although the distances travelled were about the same. One of the reasons for this delay was that he had waggons with him. These, on getting near Fort Yolland, branched off and made for Empandhleni viâ Eshowe and Melmoth, leaving Mansel, with the main portion of the force, to go on direct to Empandhleni. As, at this time, there was no reason whatever for anticipating attack along the route selected for the waggons, it is difficult to understand why the entire column should have been kept back as escort to the waggons, instead of pushing forward to contain the enemy.
By midnight on the 7th, instructions had been sent from Eshowe to the Magistrates concerned to warn all Chiefs of Nkandhla, Eshowe and Nqutu districts to arrest the fugitives should they enter any of their wards.
Immediately the Nkandhla Magistrate (Mr. B. Colenbrander) heard, as he did on Sunday, the 8th, that the rebels had entered his district—at first he supposed they were making for Qudeni forests—he sent word by Native runners to the Chiefs likely to be concerned, notably Mpumela, Ndube and Mbuzo, directing them to arm and arrest the law-breakers, then correctly said to be at or near a mountain called Kotongweni. Each complied the same day, but, before they had learnt what Bambata's real destination was, the latter had left Kotongweni, passed from kraal to kraal in the manner described, entered the ward of another Chief, Sigananda, and taken refuge in his notorious stronghold. The Magistrate was instructed by the Commissioner the same afternoon "to arm all the Natives in his district to assist in capturing Bambata," and to direct the tribes nearest the magistracy to protect that place during the night. The latter order was complied with.
It may be of interest to indicate what was spontaneously done by Natives through whose kraals or lands the strange body of men passed on their way to the Mome.
Ntshelela at once reported the fact to the Magistrate. Mangati, and two other kraal-owners, although all men of rank, took no such action, but, associating themselves with others, merely sent a report to the Chief (Sigananda). They, moreover, at once adopted a friendly attitude towards the rebels, notwithstanding that the latter bore indications of their recent conflict with the police—they carried a number of guns, two or three of which had manifestly belonged to Europeans, and even wore the helmet of a European trooper. They had also the moustache of the unfortunate man whose body had not at once been recovered, cut off and carried to induce others to take up arms against the white man.
Whilst Bambata was halting at a kraal near Mome, a few Natives came up, among them one named Muntumuni. On glancing about, Muntumuni espied Bambata. He immediately exclaimed in a loud tone: "Who is it dares to allow a reprobate to set foot here? Bambata is very well known to me. When serving as a policeman at Greytown, I found him constantly being arrested for thieving European cattle!" This was said in the rebel's hearing. Bambata turned and looked at the speaker, but said nothing. Those of Zululand who were present silenced the ex-constable and, after an interval, sent him and another to advise Sigananda, then at his Enhlweni kraal,[153] near the Mome waterfall, of Bambata's arrival, and of the circumstances under which he had come. Muntumuni went and, after delivering the message, said to the Chief that it would be criminal if he failed to notify Bambata's arrival to the Magistrate. Sigananda asked how it was that, after being sent to report the arrival, Bambata being a protégé of Dinuzulu, the messenger should advise conflicting action to be taken? "Go and report to the Magistrate yourself," said the Chief. The messenger went. At the magistracy he was presented with a coat and assegais. He returned with instructions that Sigananda was to arrest and bring Bambata to the court-house. Sigananda now blamed himself for having sent the report. He said to Muntumuni, "I personally know nothing whatever of Bambata, I have never set eyes on him. It was you who suggested reporting. It is all your affair. It, therefore, devolves on you to produce and hand the man over to the European authorities, for you declared you had seen him." The messenger found himself in a dilemma. The majority of the tribe condemned him. They kept on asking what business it was of his to make the communication. Although declaring the Chief had sent him, the latter repudiated having done so. On being asked, later on, by the Magistrate to indicate where Bambata was, Muntumuni said Sigananda did not know. "But you came here to say he had been seen, didn't you?" "Yes." "Did you not see him?" "Yes, I did." "When Sigananda sent you, was not Bambata with Sigananda?" "No." "Where was he then?" "I saw him when he arrived, he was then on his way to the Mome. It was at that stage I was sent to report to my Chief." When the messenger returned to his kraal, he was ostracized. Unable to submit to the treatment, he presently threw in his lot with the very man he had declared was a criminal and an outlaw.[154]