A Lost Legionary in South Africa
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CRITICISMS ON WITH THE LOST LEGION IN NEW ZEALAND BY Colonel HAMILTON-BROWNE Illustrated 12/6 net " " The Evening Standard" and StJames's Gazette? 2nd August 1911. "The chief value of the book, besides its historical value, is that it gives stay-at-homes, in a very readable form, a good picture of the irregular Colonial soldier of forty years ago, and the kind of fighting that has gone on in all parts of the world while the Empire has been in course of construction." " The Globe? 2nd August 1911. " There is a great deal of very lively fighting in this book, and it certainly makes us realize that a struggle with the Maories in their native bush was no child's play for even the most experienced bushwhacker." "The Daily Graphic? tfh August 1911. " It is a gallantly-told tale, always interesting, often excit- ing, never failing for a high-spirited humour." 11 The Glasgow Herald? $th August 1911. " It is simple and straightforward, even to the length of unconventionality, but it is intensely exciting in its vivid realism." a "Daily Chronicle" \2th August 1911. "The book gives us something of the bracing air of the land of the Maories, with a few genuine pictures, lightly touched, of the tough characters, the hard nails, the queer cards of the old Colonial days." " The Sketch," 2$rd August 1911. " Little Englanders, read at once Maori Browne's With the Lost Legion in New Zealand, mark the unadvertised heroism, the fierce bravery, the silent sufferings of the pioneers who fought in the New Zealand War from 1866 - 1871, and have the strength of mind to be converted. And Imperialists, go and do likewise ! The book is of supreme interest." " Book Monthly" August 1911. " A book of real new adventure and fighting, also valuable for its information." "Birmingham Daily Post" i%th August 1911. " Colonel Hamilton-Browne, in his downright straight- forward way, has given us as realistic a picture of bush fight- ing as we have ever read. Almost every page is crowded with incident, for the most part, of gallant conduct, cruelty or hardship, but just occasionally of humour. The whole book is vastly interesting, and written in an eminently modest vein." " The London Observer" \st September 1911. " The story is admirably told, and is brimful of interest and excitement." LOST LEGIONARY IN SOUTH AFRICA OFF THE MAIN TRACK Being South African Reminiscences By STANLEY PORTAL HYATT. 123. 6d. net. THE DIARY OF A SOLDIER OF FORTUNE Being the Life of Stanley Portal Hyatt His Experiences as Engineer, Sheep Station Hand, Nigger Driver, Hunter, Trader, Transport Rider, Labour Agent, Cold Storage Engineer, Explorer, Lecturer, Pressman, American Soldier, Blockade- Runner and Tramp. 12s. 6d. net. ALONE IN WEST AFRICA By MARY GAUNT. 155. net THROUGH INDIA AND BURMA By A. HUGH FISHER. 153. net NEW ZEALAND By Dr MAX HERZ. 123. 6d. net GREAT LOVE STORIES OF THE THEATRE By CHARLES W. COLLINS. 125. 6d. net SWITZERLAND IN SNOW AND SUNSHINE By E. B. D'AUVERGNE. I2s. 6d. net * *.* t* V *..**; THE AUTHOR IN 1879. A LOST LEGIONARY IN SOUTH AFRICA BY Colonel G. HAMILTON-BROWNE 44 MAORI BROWNE" Late Commandant in Colonial Forces ILLUSTRATED BY S. VALDA N LONDON T. WERNER LAURIE CLIFFORD'S INN THIS WORK IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF MY OLD COMRADES OFFICERS AND MEN OF H.M. 24TH REGIMENT, THE 3RD NATAL NATIVE CONTINGENT, THE PIETERMARITZBURG CARBINEERS, AND THE NATAL MOUNTED POLICE, WHOSE BONES LIE BURIED BENEATH THE SHADOW OF ISANDLWANA WHERE LOSING ALL SAVE THEIR HONOUR, THEY FELL FIGHTING BRAVELY FOR QUEEN AND FLAG ON THE 22ND OF JANUARY 1879 Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die, Though every soldier knew Someone had blundered." TENNYSON. CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE xi PART I CHAP. I. BABY FARMING OFF CAPE HORN . i II. I START AGAIN ON THE LONG TRAIL . n III. A SOUTH AFRICAN PICNIC . .23 IV. PULLEINE'S LAMBS . .36 V. FATHER WALSH . .43 VI. THE IDIOSYNCRASY OF THE BRITISH NAVVY ON FIELD SERVICE . .49 VII. LOOT AND SOME LOOTERS . .58 VIII. GRAND ROUNDS AND BLUE-JACKET SENTRIES . 74 IX. THE ZULU ARMY . ... 85 X. ADVANCE INTO ZULULAND . .99 XI. COMING EVENTS THROW SHADOWS BEFORE THEM 118 XII. THE DAY OF ISANDLWANA . .125 XIII. THE MORNING AFTER ISANDLWANA . 140 XIV. LIFE AT ROURKE'S DRIFT . .154 XV. COLLECTING INFORMATION AND OTHER THINGS 165 XVI. UNDER ORDERS FOR THE CAPE . , 177 vii 273217 viii CONTENTS PART II CHAP. PAGE I. LONSDALE'S HORSE .... 191 II, GlNGINHLOVA ..... 205 III. DETAINED AT THE BASE . 214 IV. FLOORED BY A MULE .... 232 V. A LIFE THROWN AWAY .... 249 VI. A KlMBERLEY I.D.B. REMINISCENCE . 259 VII. YARNS OF THE BECHUANALAND FIELD FORCE . 270 VIII. WE ALL WENT A-HUNTING THAT DAY . 283 IX. THE JEW SMOUSER AND THE IRISH PRIEST . 286 X. So LONG! ..... 293 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS THE AUTHOR IN 1879 . Frontispiece SHIPWRECKED, BUT UNCONCERNED . To face page 18 THE SENTINEL LAMB , . 36 SERHIO'S KRANTZ . ,, 108 A LAST SALUTE .... 140 UMVUBIE'S MODEST REQUEST . 156 THE CRIME OF THE NATURALIST . ,, 164 COLLECTING INFORMATION . ,, 170 PRESSED 208 ..... ,, A COOL SPOT .... 220 A GROUP OF D.F.H. OFFICERS . 294 D.F.H. CAMP AT SPEITFONTEIN, 1890 . ,, 304 IX " But I've cut my cake, so I can't complain, And I've only myself to blame, Ah ! that was always their tune at home, And here it is just the same. Of the seed I've sown in pleasure, I'm in The harvest reaping pain ; Could I put my life a few years back, Would I live that life again ? Would I ? Of course I would ! What glorious days they were ! It sometimes seems the dream of a dream, That life could have been so fair. A sweet but if a short time back, While now, if one can call This life, I almost doubt at times If it's worth the living at all. One of these poets, which is it ? Somewhere or another, sings, That the crown of a sorrow's sorrow Is remembering happier things. What the crown of a sorrow's sorrow I not but this I May be, know ; know, It lightens the years that are now Sometimes, to think of the years ago." A. LINDSEY GORDON. PREFACE BEFORE saying anything about this present work I think it is my bounden duty to tender my hearty and sincere thanks to the innumerable critics, both British and Colonial, who so unanimously reviewed my first attempt at literature, With the Lost Legion in New Zealand, with a kindness that has greatly surprised me and in a manner, so obviously to myself, closing their eyes to the manifold faults in the work and most probably actuated by their sportsmanlike wishes to help a worn-out old war dog along the rough road of his declining years, have held out a helping hand, tried to lighten his swag and cheer him along the line of march by making the most of the few good things in his book and treating with leniency its many failings. I hereby again gratefully thank the members of the Press and many of my old comrades for their generous sympathy and warm support. Much against my inclination I have written the present work in my own name, for no real Lost Legionary ever wishes to blow his own trumpet or pose as a hero even should he have done deeds worthy to be so styled, and I have certainly no right to the appellation. I must therefore apolo- gize for the frequent appearance of the big capital XI xii PREFACE "I," but this must occur when a man writes about events in which he has taken a hand. Again I have tried to eliminate as much as possible accounts of petty skirmishes and cattle-raiding excursions that are so frequent in savage warfare and have con- tented myself by trying to make the book enter- taining without thrilling my readers with bloody happenings many of which had better be forgotten. My frail bark is launched and must sink or swim on its own merits and if it does the former I can only hope it will go down with colours flying, after having, as Umvubie would say, a good fight first. A LOST LEGIONARY IN SOUTH AFRICA PART I CHAPTER I BABY FARMING OFF CAPE HORN * ONE fine day towards the end of April, in the year of Our Lord 1877, two men might have been seen walking down Queen Street, Auckland, New Zealand, towards the wharf, and as one of them is the author of this book, in whose pages the name of the other frequently occurs, let me introduce myself and companion to you. I had three months previous to that date turned thirty years of age, stood just over 5ft. 7in. in my bare feet, with a chest measuring over 40 inches in circumference and limbs of almost too great a magnitude for my size yet withal, when in good health, which I was not at that moment, as active as a cat and capable of undergoing any amount of exertion and hardship. As for my face, well you must judge that for your- self. Look at the portrait in the book, knock off some thirty-four years, allow for the wear and tear of over thirty strenuous years of South African frontier life, many of which have been passed in warfare, and there you are. 2 A LOST LEGIONARY IN SOUTH AFRICA My companion, by name Edward Quin, called himself, and in reality was my servant but there were bonds that tied us together far stronger and more lasting than any services received or wages paid could forge.