s. But Buller with his horse scouted ahead, and
cut up a number of Zulus who were engaged in burning the grass, to
hinder the advance of the horses and cattle. On the 26th Colonel
Drury-Lowe, with the light cavalry, 450 of Buller's men and two guns,
went out and attacked and burnt five large military kraals. On the 27th
the column advanced five miles towards Ulundi, leaving their tents
behind them, and taking only 200 ammunition-waggons and ten days'
rations; 500 infantry were left to guard the stores.

On the afternoon of that day some messengers came in from Cetewayo,
bringing 150 of the cattle captured at Isandula, together with a pair of
elephant's tusks, and a letter written in English by a trader captured
at Isandula. The letter said that the king could not comply with all
Lord Chelmsford's commands, as the arms taken from us at Isandula were
not brought to him, and that it was beyond his power as a king to order
or compel any of his regiments to lay down their arms. He said the
cannons should be sent in, and on the receipt of the cattle and these
weapons the English must retire from Zululand. The trader had written
in a corner of the letter, in pencil, a few words of warning, and an
intimation that Cetewayo had with him at Ulundi a picked force of 20,000
men.

Lord Chelmsford refused to receive the tusks, and told the messengers to
inform Cetewayo, that before he should think of retiring, all the
conditions must be complied with, and the Zulu regiments lay down their
arms. Late in the evening several large bodies of the enemy, amounting
to some thousands, were noticed moving from the direction of Ulundi,
passing by their left flank.

The next morning General Wood moved forward as far as the left bank of
the White Umvolosi, and Newdigate's column followed in the afternoon.
Wood's division bivouacked on the farther side of the river, Newdigate's
halted on the right. The most vigilant watch was kept, with pickets in
every direction, and patrols of cavalry beyond these.

At daybreak on the 27th the main body crossed the river, and joined Wood
on the left bank. They were now but fifteen miles from Ulundi, and the
king's five kraals were visible to the naked eye. Three days were given
to Cetewayo to comply with the conditions, but the original terms were
altered so far, that Lord Chelmsford consented to receive 1000 captured
rifles instead of insisting upon the regiments laying down their arms.
While wait