Mr. Allan Quatermain's story of the wicked and fascinating Mameena,
a kind of Zulu Helen, has, it should be stated, a broad foundation in
historical fact. Leaving Mameena and her wiles on one side, the tale of
the struggle between the Princes Cetewayo and Umbelazi for succession to
the throne of Zululand is true.
When the differences between these sons of his became intolerable,
because of the tumult which they were causing in his country, King
Panda, their father, the son of Senzangakona, and the brother of the
great Chaka and of Dingaan, who had ruled before him, did say that "when
two young bulls quarrel they had better fight it out." So, at least, I
was told by the late Mr. F. B. Fynney, my colleague at the time of the
annexation of the Transvaal in 1877, who, as Zulu Border Agent, with the
exceptions of the late Sir Theophilus Shepstone and the late Sir Melmoth
Osborn, perhaps knew more of that land and people than anyone else of
his period.
As a result of this hint given by a maddened king, the great battle of
the Tugela was fought at Endondakusuka in December, 1856, between the
Usutu party, commanded by Cetewayo, and the adherents of Umbelazi
the Handsome, his brother, who was known among the Zulus as
"Indhlovu-ene-Sihlonti," or the "Elephant with the tuft of hair," from a
little lock of hair which grew low down upon his back.
My friend, Sir Melmoth Osborn, who died in or about the year 1897, was
present at this battle, although not as a combatant. Well do I remember
his thrilling story, told to me over thirty years ago, of the events of
that awful day.
Early in the morning, or during the previous night, I forget which, he
swam his horse across the Tugela and hid with it in a bush-clad kopje,
blindfolding the animal with his coat lest it should betray him. As it
chanced, the great fight of the day, that of the regiment of veterans,
which Sir Melmoth informed me Panda had sent down at the last moment to
the assistance of Umbelazi, his favourite son, took place almost at
the foot of this kopje. Mr. Quatermain, in his narrative, calls this
regiment the Amawombe, but my recollection is that the name Sir Melmoth
Osborn gave them was "The Greys" or "Upunga."
Whatever their exact title may have been, however, they made a great
stand. At least, he told me that when Umbelazi's impi, or army, began to
give before the Usutu onslaught, these "Greys" moved forward above 3,000
strong, drawn up in a triple line, and were charged by one of Cetewayo's
regiments.
The opposing forces met, and the noise of their clashing shields, said
Sir Melmoth, was like the roll of heavy thunder. Then, while he watched,
the veteran "Greys" passed over the opposing regiment "as a wave passes
over a rock"--these were his exact words--and, leaving about a third of
their number dead or wounded among the bodies of the annihilated foe,
charged on to meet a second regiment sent against them by Cetewayo. With
these the struggle was repeated, but again the "Greys" conquered. Only
now there were not more than five or six hundred of them left upon their
feet.