nt of Isandhlwana,
which reminded me of a huge lion crouching above the
hill-encircled plain beyond. At the foot of this isolated mount,
whereof the aspect somehow filled me with alarm, we camped on the
night of January 21, taking no precautions against attack by way
of laagering the wagons. Indeed the last thing that seemed to
occur to those in command was that there would be serious
fighting; men marched forward to their deaths as though they were
going on a shooting-party, or to a picnic. I even saw cricketing
bats and wickets occupying some of the scanty space upon the
wagons.

Now I am not going to set out all the military details that
preceded the massacre of Isandhlwana, for these are written in
history. It is enough to say that on the night of January 21,
Major Dartnell, who was in command of the Natal Mounted Police
and had been sent out to reconnoitre the country beyond
Isandhlwana, reported a strong force of Zulus in front of us.
Thereon Lord Chelmsford, the General-in-Chief, moved out from the
camp at dawn to his support, taking with him six companies of the
24th regiment, together with four guns and the mounted infantry.
There were left in the camp two guns and about eight hundred
white and nine hundred native troops, also some transport riders
such as myself and a number of miscellaneous camp-followers. I
saw him go from between the curtains of one of my wagons where I
had made my bed on the top of a pile of baggage. Indeed I had
already dressed myself at the time, for that night I slept very
ill because I knew our danger, and my heart was heavy with fear.

About ten o'clock in the morning Colonel Durnford, whom I have
mentioned already, rode up with five hundred Natal Zulus, about
half of whom were mounted, and two rocket tubes which, of course,
were worked by white men. This was after a patrol had reported
that they had come into touch with some Zulus on the left front,
who retired before them. As a matter of fact these Zulus were
foraging in the mealie fields, since owing to the drought food
was very scarce in Zululand that year and the regiments were
hungry. I happened to see the meeting between Colonel Pulleine,
a short, stout man who was then in command of the camp, and
Colonel Durnford who, as his senior officer, took it over from
him, and heard Colonel Pulleine say that his orders were "to
defend the camp," but what else passed between them I do not
know.

Presently Colonel Durnford