Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa from 1873 to 1884, Volume 1 (1919).djvu/141

 1^78] Suppression of the Rebellion. 121 hundred Gaikas under Mataczima, most of whom man- aged to get away, but fifty-five took shelter in a small thicket. There they were surrounded and prevented from moving out until reinforcements from Commandant Frost's division, under Captain Ella, arrived, when, as they would not surrender, they were all shot. Captain Ella and three of the volunteers were wounded, but no lives were lost on the colonial side. General Thesiger then arranged the forces under his command differently, but still on the same plan of sur- rounding the rebels and then scourmg the country enclosed. He had at his disposal for this pur])ose five hundred and fifty-five infantry, one thousand one hundred and eighty-five cavalry, one thousand two hundred and fifty-nine Fingos, and four seven-pounder guns, in addi- tion to a company of soldiers under Colonel Law, of the royal artillery, who had also with him thirty-two marines and twenty-four sailors with two twenty-four pounder rocket tubes, under Lieutenant Craigie, of the royal navy. The remainder of the naval brigade had embarked at East London in the transport Himalaya on the 16th of March to return to the Active in Simon's Bay. The troops and volunteers were formed in six divisions, led respectively by Lieutenant-Colonel Evelyn "Wood, V.C., C.B., Lieutenant-Colonel Degacher, of the second battalion of the twenty-fourth regiment. Commandant J. (later Sir John) Frost, Commandant Schermbrucker, Com- mandant Venter, and Commandant Brabant. On the 18th of March operations were commenced, but were impeded by heavy rain unusually cold for that time of year, which lasted with short intervals for four days, and caused great discomfort to those who were without blankets or shelter. There was also such difficulty in conveying other food than beef to some of the divisions that they were suffering from hunger as well. On the 19th Captain Bradshaw was killed while leading a party of Fingos who were scouring a ravine, and on