Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa from 1873 to 1884, Volume 1 (1919).djvu/59

1878] Meantime Mr. Donald Strachan, magistrate of Umzimkulu, had collected three hundred Hlangwenis, with whom he proceeded to Kokstad as rapidly as possible, and arrived there just in time. Sir Henry Bulwer, lieutenant-governor of Natal, was urgently requested to send assistance, and on the 14th of April two hundred and nineteen men of the third Buffs and fifty of the Natal mounted police left Maritzburg, but only arrived at Kokstad on the 22nd, too late to be of service.

On Sunday the 14th of April Captain Blyth with the frontier armed and mounted policemen at his disposal, only twenty in number, a few European volunteers, and a strong force of Sidoyi's Hlangwenis and Makaula's Bacas, attacked the rebel camp under Adam Muis. The Pondos under Josiah Jenkins now thought it better not to resist, and only five minutes before the actual fighting commenced they came out and surrendered. An apology was made for Josiah Jenkins that he had been sent by Umqikela to deliver Adam Muis to the chief magistrate, but that owing to his youth and inexperience he had blundered in carrying out his instructions, and this absurd excuse was accepted, as the colonial government was desirous of avoiding war with the Pondos. In the action that followed the Griquas were defeated with heavy loss, and their leader, Adam Muis, was killed. They retreated to the border of Natal, where they formed another camp, under Smith Pommer.

During the night of the 15th the magazine at Kokstad exploded, no one ever knew from what cause, when five men and three women were killed and three men and one woman were more or less severely injured. This was a serious, but not an irreparable disaster, as fortunately a sufficient number of cartridges were still on hand to enable operations to be carried on until a fresh supply could be obtained.

On the 17th Captain Blyth attacked the rebel camp, which was in a very strong position on the border of