Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa from 1873 to 1884, Volume 1 (1919).djvu/89

 1 87 7] The Ninth Kaffir War. 69 Sunday the 21st the Galekas in force attacked the camp, but after some sharp fighting were beaten off. In the engagement two Europeans, brothers named Goss, who were officers in the Fingo contingent, and nine Fingos were killed, and one European and twenty-one Fingos were wounded. Sixty-seven dead Galekas were counted on the field of battle, twenty or thirty muzzle-loader guns were picked up, and fifteen horses were captured. The third column consisted of two hundred Europeans and about fifteen hundred Tembus, under Major H. G. Elliot, that left Idutywa on the morning of the 17th. As at Ibeka a strong force had to be left behind to guard the camp, and the column was formed of picked men. It marched to Toleni, scouring the country on the way, destroying the kraals, and scattering small parties of Galekas, of whom from forty to fifty were killed. The only casualties were four men wounded. On the 30th of October, as the Galekas were known to be in great force near the coast towards the Bashee, Colonel GriSith proceeded with his army in that direction. It was formed into several columns, which marched suffi- ciently close to each other to be able to concentrate in case of necessity, but yet covered a wide extent of country from one extreme to the other. In front Fingo scouts were constantly examining the line of advance and bringing back reports, and between the columns the Tembus under Major Elliot and the Fingos under several leaders were scouring effectually, burning huts and collecting maize from the store pits. The drought had broken and rain was falling, on some days very heavily, and the Europeans were suffering great discom- fort, especially as their transport waggons could not keep up with them, and on more than one occasion they were short of other food than flesh. They could not eat the maize from store pits, on account of its disagreeable taste, though the Fingos and Tembus enjoyed it and ate to their hearts' content.