XXXVIII.] KRELI'S "MOTHER OF MUSKETS."

355

Baillie's Grave, one of the enemy made himself defiantly conspicuous to a party of the 2nd-24th Regiment. Several shots were fired at him, which caused the fellow gradually to increase his distance. At slightly over a thousand yards the native appeared to consider himself safe, but an officer came upon the scene, and at his first shot the whooping and dancing Kafir received a fatal bullet between his shoulders. The small 7- and 9-pounder guns, as well as the rockets, gave our troops a great advantage.

Kreli was known to have become possessed of a small cannon, which was buried somewhere near his "Great Place." When at Ibeka I endeavoured to procure it, but was not successful. He is said to have prized it greatly, as the "mother of muskets," though I am sure he did not himself believe in such a fable.

On the 8th of January a cypher message was received from Captain Wardell, commanding a detachment of the 24th Regiment at Impetu, conveyed by a native who had succeeded in eluding the enemy, giving information that his post was completely surrounded and cut off. Whilst inflicting loss on the enemy, he had succeeded in beating them off without greater loss than that of the commissariat oxen attached to the post. The message ran as follows:

Our communications are cut off. We are surrounded on all sides by Kafirs, who are destroying everything. Spencer is here with his men from Port Buffalo, all except party at Fort Linsingen. I do not see my way to relieving them at present. The enemy being so strong between us in the Chichaba, it will be as much as we can do to hold our own here. Spencer's camp was attacked last night; it adjoined our redoubt. Enemy driven off. No loss to us. Expect same will occur often in some form, as they appear so very determined. In broad daylight yesterday they carried off

about one hundred of our commissariat oxen. The Chichaba is full of Kafirs, under five chiefs. We want ammunition to complete our reserve, and also Sniders for volunteers. I should like a field-piece, also some rockets; our position being so very open and exposed. We have supplies for about ten days. Ten families in " laager" here. Have seventy women and children, who passed night in ditch of our fort; no other place of safety; also our horses. Maclean has not returned. We are obliged to be under arms all night lately. Can you send me any sand-bags?

On the following morning, the 7th, Lieutenant-Colonel Lambert left Komgha with a force of three 7-pounders, 467 infantry, 86 horse, and 250 Fingo levies. No enemy was encountered. Reaching Impetu, distant eighteen miles from Komgha, it was found that the seventeen men shut up in Fort Linsingen had been relieved from their critical position with assistance rendered by Mapassa, the Galeka Chief, who had sought our protection at the commencement of this campaign, and whose tribe was located on the Galeka side of the Kei. The men had been thus enabled to fall back, though with much difficulty, on Impetu, being attacked on their way, and the Impetu garrison marching to their assistance. Many farmers, with their families, friendly natives, and over one hundred women and children, had taken refuge in the small ditch around the camp; and these, with a long train of waggons, 310 head of cattle, and 2349 sheep, accompanied the troops on their return to Komgha, materially lengthening the march.

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CHAPTER XXXIX.

USE OF THE TELEGRAPH IN THE WAR.

I HAD arranged by telegram a few days previously with my Adjutant-General, Colonel Bellairs, who was commanding at King William's Town, a general advance from both sides of the Kei river, on the Chichaba, a dense and very extensive forest, on either side of the Kei river, commencing near the junction of the Butterworth river, and extending towards the sea.

Before the commencement of the war, the Colonial Government had most wisely commenced paying attention to the general telegraphic communication of the colony; and most fortunately Mr. Severight, an active, intelligent, and wellinstructed gentleman, had been out to superintend them.

His exertions were never relaxed in placing our telegraphic communications in order, and thus we held communication early in the war with almost every position in which troops were located. It may naturally be asked, how it was that the Kafirs, moving with impunity over large tracts of country traversed by these wires, did not destroy them?

The only answer is, that they looked upon them as English witchcraft. They dreaded them, they prayed even to them at night, they made incantations around the tall posts and mysterious wires, invoking their kindness and leniency. This treating with deference the gods of an enemy is a very peculiar trait of savage feeling. They thought that these wires were hurtful to them in some mysterious way, but they

dared not destroy them, and their happy infatuation preserved to us one of the greatest advantages.

By the liberal use of the telegraph I was enabled to make the Governor acquainted with every move on the Transkei, and was informed of many military circumstances relating to my force, and was able to converse with my Deputy-AdjutantGeneral at pleasure. Thus the arrangements which were made for the attack upon the Chichaba were perfect even to the smallest details. At some of the minor stations rather singular mistakes were occasionally made. For instance: a telegram came from an officer, who was zealous in correct detail, asking for certain "rules and regulations;" but as supplies for the troops were in the mind of every one, the clerk read it, "Send us mules and vegetables." The mules arrived and were most acceptable, for the guns, and the potatoes were far more useful to the troops than any code of regulations could have been.

It was very important that a native Fingo force should be collected for the attack upon Chichaba, which can be traversed only with great difficulty by English soldiers alone. The Fingoes spy out the enemy, and firmly rely upon the English when they have occasion to retreat. They perform most excellent service, and evince much bravery, quite equal to either the Gaikas or the Galekas, or any other tribes who have become famous as warriors.

In making my preparations, on calling for bodies of these men from the magistrates in Fingoland, what was my disappointment to find that the Colonial Minister of War had already desired those that had arms to march in another direction, and join a column of the force which he had collected in the neighbourhood of Queenstown. They had taken with them the arms and ammunition which I had issued to them from the small stores in my possession, for the very purpose for which I now required their services.

XXXIX.]

ADVANCE ON THE CHICHABA.

359

This caused me great difficulties, as the arrangements for our movement were of a peculiarly complicated character.

After great exertions I managed, however, to collect about one-third of the number which I desired.

I had only two small corps of Burgher Cavalry attached to my troops, of about twenty-five men each. They were farmers whose properties lay immediately in the vicinity of the Komgha, and who did not desire to be far distant from their homes. My cavalry force under that excellent officer, Carrington, was now, however, attaining some sort of organisation, and did good service in keeping open my communications.

A short time prior to the attack upon Chichaba Captain Boyes was killed in the bush, his death being occasioned by his penetrating with too small a force into the dense forest.

Captain von Leiningen, a brave and excellent officer, very nearly shared the same fate. He met some Kafir women. After they had passed it came into his mind to tell them to join another party of women, who had passed shortly before, and had said they were moving off. He rode back with two of his men, and after searching for a while found the party. Whilst he was speaking with them, two women came up panting and dripping with sweat-one drawing nearer and nearer to his horse. When he followed the looks of her eyes he saw a great number of Kafirs creeping up towards him in the long grass. His party had only time to fire off their guns and retreat.

The troops for the attack of the Chichaba left Komgha on the 14th of January, the right column under the command of Colonel Lambert, and the left in charge of Major Moore, both officers of the 80th Regiment. The total strength of each comprised about 200 white troops, including police and volunteers, and in addition to these about 1000 Fingoes assisted in the attack. Impetu was reached on the 15th, and here the force was strengthened by Captain Brabant, in command of the