Was that any reason for their sparing, as they did, some hundred miles of unprotected river border for the whole six weeks during which the invaders helplessly awaited reinforcements? And, if their object was to invade Natal, why did the Zulus spare the defenceless homesteads of white and black, and make straight for the one point close to their own border, where was a portion of the invading army? As one of our officials wrote at the time, it would have been “not easy for regular forces to intercept a body of thousands of naked savages, travelling by byways, forty miles in a night, living on plunder, overwhelming by numbers any post they surprise, and then dispersing as they came by bypaths to their own country not sixty miles off.”*
No doubt, if they had chosen, the Zulus might so have swept Natal. But just a week after the battle of Isandhlwana, two native waggon-drivers, fugitives from the English camp, told my father, in my hearing, how as they fled for their lives upon that dreadful day, and could scarce stumble up the rocky bank of the stream into Natal, the Zulus after them in hot pursuit — they had heard a Zulu leader shout to his men, “Come back! the king has not said you are to cross! He is not invading. He is only defending the land of the Zulus!”
“And they went back, and so our lives were saved,” said the fugitives.
* The comment was made by Sir Bartle Frere, High Commissioner for South Africa, in a letter to Sir Michael Hicks-Beach dated January 29th, 1879.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Await. Hand. Six.
2 Burn. Could. Might.
3 Any. Man. Straight.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Kill. 2 Number. 3 Make. 4 Lie. 5 Soil. 6 Cross. 7 Write. 8 Use. 9 Stay.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
scrs (6+2)
saucers. scares. scars. scores. scours. secures.
screes. sucrose.
