re from excessive population, had
driven the Zoolus to the southward, and they came down like an
inundation, sweeping before them all the tribes that fell in their path.
Chaka's force consisted of nearly 100,000 warriors, of whom 15,000 were
always in attendance to execute his orders. In every country which he
overran he spared neither age nor sex; it was one indiscriminate
slaughter."

"What a monster!"

"He ruled by terror, and it is incredible that his orders met with such
implicit obedience. To make his army invincible, he remodeled it,
divided it into companies, distinguished by the color of their shields,
and forbade them to use any other weapon but a short stabbing-spear, so
that they always fought at close quarters. He weeded his army by picking
out 1000 of his veteran warriors, who had gained his victories, and
putting them to death. Any regiment sent out to battle, if they were
defeated, were instantly destroyed on their return; it was, therefore,
victory or death with them; and the death was most cruel, being that of
impalement. Well he was surnamed 'the Bloody,'"

"Yes, indeed."

"His tyranny over his own people was dreadful. On one occasion, a child
annoyed him; he ordered it to be killed; but the child ran among seventy
or eighty other children, and could not be distinguished, so he ordered
the whole to be put to death. He murdered two or three hundred of his
wives in one day. At the slightest suspicion he would order out his
chiefs to execution, and no one knew when his turn might come. His will
was law: every one trembled and obeyed. To enter into a detail of all
his cruelties would fill volumes; it will be sufficient to mention the
last act of his life. His mother died, and he declared that she had
perished by witchcraft. Hundreds and hundreds were impaled, and, at
last, tired of these slow proceedings, he ordered out his army to an
indiscriminate slaughter over the whole country, which lasted for
fourteen days."

"How horrible!"

"He was a demon who reveled in blood; but his own turn came at last. He
was murdered by his brother Dingaam, who knew that he was about to be
sacrificed; and thus perished the bloody Chaka. His brother Dingaam is
now on the Zoolu throne, and appears inclined to be quiet. There is
another great warrior chief named Moselekatsee, who revolted from Chaka,
and who is much such another character; but our accounts of these people
are vague at present, and require time to corr