Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa from 1873 to 1884, Volume 1 (1919).djvu/98

 78 History of the Cape Colony. [1877 good a condition for defence as the means at hand allowed of, the guns were loaded and placed in position, and the horses and oxen were fastened to the waggons. At half past six that evening the camp was attacked by fully a thousand Galekas, who entirely surrounded it. Great execution was done by the guns and the rifle fire of the defenders, but until eight o'clock the fighting was continuous. The horses and oxen, startled by the cannon fire, broke loose and stampeded, falling into the enemy's hands. A Capetown volunteer named Henry Phihp Baron was killed, and six volunteers and one policeman were wounded. Fortunately the aim of the Galekas was imperfect, or the casualties must have been much heavier. Inspector Bourne's ammunition was almost exhausted when the assailants withdrew, after losing a great many men, but still preserving a defiant attitude. At half past ten Sub-Inspector Hatton arrived with reinforcements, but it was considered prudent to form the whole force into a hollow square and remain in that position with their rifles in their hands till daylight next morning. On the 4th of December Colonel Griffith reported what had occurred, and asked for reinforcements to be sent to him as speedily as possible. And so the colony was awakened to the fact that a general Kaffir war was in progress, for no one doubted any longer that the Earabe clans would take part in it. Measures were at once adopted to collect an active force on the border. General Cunynghame resolved to remove every soldier from Capetown, and to entrust the care of the forts and military buildings to volunteers. On the 5th of December the governor requested Commo- dore Sullivan by telegraph to aid with as large a naval contingent as he could spare, and to convey the troops from Capetown to East London with the least possible delay. Major EUiot was directed to call out the Tembus again, and volunteers all over the country were appealed to.