language to him. On being requested to give further explanation, he said that she persisted in using words in her conversation with him that commenced with a syllable in his name, instead of using a paraphrase to express her thoughts.

On the war breaking out, he attached himself, like a trembling cur, to the heels of Major Elliott, fearful lest he should be murdered if he remained at home. He had about 3000 followers, who, however, were great cowards, and very inferior to the Fingoes or Galekas.

On my return, and shortly before reaching Ibeka, I overtook a party of Kafir women who were carrying beer in wooden vessels to serve the camp. This was for the refreshment of the natives employed with the transport. It resembled weak pigwash, as nearly as I am able to describe it, dark fatty substances floating through the mess. Notwithstanding its uninviting appearance, I had the curiosity to try the sour, horrid mixture; but it was some hours before I could get rid of its acid and revolting taste. This beer had been brought from the kraal of one Smith Possa. He is said to be the grandchild of a French woman, who escaped with several other ladies from the wreck of a vessel bound from India to Europe. The crew were murdered, and the women divided as wives amongst the adjacent chiefs.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

THE OPERATIONS OF THE BRITISH TROOPS IN THE TRANSKEI.

It is now time to return to the doings of the columns which had been sent out to scour the country. I had retained the volunteers to guard stores at Ibeka, regretting that I could not employ them in the field. They frequently requested to be sent home; but as I left it entirely optional to them to stay or go, it was fortunate for me that they remained, as our stores of food and ammunition would otherwise have been placed in some danger, my force at Ibeka consisting without them of less than a hundred men, while thousands of the enemy were within ten miles of my camp.

We received information that a large body of Galekas had doubled back, and were concentrating near the Kei, with a force of the Gaikas, who had come over from Sandilli's location. Upon this I sent an express to Colonel Glyn, who was then at the mouth of the Bashee, directing him to march at once, and with the utmost celerity, to Ibeka. Losing not a moment, he obeyed my orders, arriving on the third day by forced marches, sailors, soldiers, and police being equally delighted with the chance of meeting the enemy who had so often eluded them.

Colonel Glyn's operations had been most successful. He had driven the natives before him, attacking them whenever they made the slightest stand, and never ceasing his marches till called away to obey my orders.

Early on the morning of the 13th the troops marched to

join the Quintana column, which was now under command of Major Owen, 88th Regiment, Major Hepton having been selected for special service on the other side of the Kei. Scarcely had Colonel Glyn reached his camp when my aide-decamp, Lieutenant Coghill, galloped up with intelligence from me of an intended attack by the enemy. Resuming his march with all speed, he joined the troops in advance, and finally united with Major Owen's column. Thus the forces which were so widely apart two days before were rapidly concentrated.

When Major Owen's camp at Nyumaxa was reached, large bodies of the enemy were reported gathering on the neighbouring heights. Captain Robinson, R.A., and seventy Frontier Army Mounted Police, with two 7-pounder guns, were left to protect the camp, and the order to advance and attack was given, Colonel Glyn taking command of both columns, Major Owen commanding his own, which was the first line of attack, and Captain Upcher the second.

The Fingoes, 200 in number, under Captain Veldtman, had preceded the advance, and disposed themselves so as to co-operate in the attack. On reaching the brow of the hill the enemy were perceived in large numbers. On the columns getting in sight the Kafirs advanced.

The first line consisted of one company 24th Regiment on the right, and an equal number of the 88th Regiment on the left. In the centre were the guns, under Lieutenant Kell, and one rocket party of blue-jackets, under Lieutenant Cochrane, and another with the men of the 24th Regiment, under Lieutenant Maine, R.E.

Inspector Bourne's troop of police were in rear, commanding a deep kloof to protect the left flank; Inspector Chalmers on the right, to watch another dangerous kloof; and Captain Upcher's party, consisting of the 24th Regiment, and marines, under Lieutenant Dowding, in reserve.

The country was an undulating plain, with rugged country in

XXXVIII.]

THE BATTLE OF NYUMAXA.

353

the foreground, and deep-wooded kloofs on either hand. The ground in the immediate front of the position fell away into a small valley, covered by long grass, stones, and tangled brushwood, well adapted for skirmishing.

At 4.30 the first shot was fired by Lieutenant Maine's rocket-party into the masses of the enemy, who were swarming on the face of the opposite hills. The first was a little high, but the second was most effective, three men falling. The Kafirs, who were unaccustomed to such fireworks, dispersed, taking to the kloofs on either flank. Almost directly smallarm firing was commenced by Inspector Bourne's troop, and the action became general.

The troops broke into skirmishing order, and advanced. The 88th, gallantly led by Major Owen, rushed forward with a cheer, and opened a hot fire on the Kafirs, who were creeping up the kloofs, taking advantage of the long grass and broken ground in front of the position. The 88th being hotly engaged, and four of the men having fallen, three of them severely wounded, Colonel Glyn reinforced them by the mounted men of the 24th Regiment, who, leaving their horses on the brow, dashed down in skirmishing order, led by Lieutenant Clements, and forced the enemy to evacuate their positions. The Kafirs having now come up in great force, Colonel Glyn sent for the reserve. Captain Upcher brought his men up at the double, and, breaking into skirmishing order, outflanked the enemy on their right, and opened a galling fire. This, after a short time, forced the enemy back, and they retired sullenly, returning the fire of the troops. On the right the troops were equally successful, forcing the enemy back with loss, and driving them into the kloofs, which, unfortunately for them, were already occupied by Captain Veldtman's Fingoes, who attacked them and did great execution. During the action the kloofs and wooded krantzes were shelled by the two 7-pounder guns under Lieutenant Kell, 88th Regiment,

and searched by the rockets of the two parties detached for that service, both of whom did great damage to the enemy. By about 5.15 the Kafirs were in full retreat.

They were pursued from bush to bush, and driven from the various strongholds where they attempted to make a stand. By 6 o'clock, as evening was drawing on, Colonel Glyn gave the order to cease the pursuit, and, recalling his men, marched back to camp. Thus ended the action of Nyumaxa, the enemy losing fifty-four counted dead on the field; and from the reports of the number of wounded brought in on the following day, and the subsequent discovery of many more bodies in the kloofs and woods, we may fairly conjecture that a salutary lesson was administered to him.

It has since been stated that four chiefs were killed in this engagement.

On many of the bodies of the dead Kafirs were found passes certifying that they were loyal subjects.

The soldiers of the 24th Regiment were much elated at the first chance they had of meeting the enemy, and the more so, as the action was fought on the anniversary of the battle of Chillianwallah, in which their regiment had so greatly distinguished itself twenty years before. After that battle the lifeless bodies of thirteen officers of the regiment were stretched on the mess-table.

At no time had the power of the Martini-Henry rifle been more conspicuously shown; indeed, it was perhaps the first occasion when it had been fairly used by the soldiers of the British army.

Several instances of the long range of this weapon were recorded. All of them, however, were eclipsed at the Waterkloof, when the Sergeant Instructor of Musketry of the 90th Light Infantry killed a Kafir, by deliberate aim, at 1800 yards' distance-a little over a mile! He also shot a small bird (a parrot) in a tree at 200 yards' range. Near