The colony of Natal; an official illustrated handbook and railway guide . eral interviews he at last ceded the land to themfrom the Tu^rela to the Umzimvubu River, from the Drakensberg tothe sea,but with-out the slightestintention ofcompleting thecession. Appointing aday of interview,the King in statereceived theDutch leader,Piet Retief, andby the affability-of his manner,completely re-moved all sus-picions. Assoon, however,as he got Retiefand his followersat a disadvan-tage, he orderedtheir slaughter,which forthwithtook place. Not content with this first blow, a large impi or war party wasdes
The colony of Natal; an official illustrated handbook and railway guide . eral interviews he at last ceded the land to themfrom the Tu^rela to the Umzimvubu River, from the Drakensberg tothe sea,but with-out the slightestintention ofcompleting thecession. Appointing aday of interview,the King in statereceived theDutch leader,Piet Retief, andby the affability-of his manner,completely re-moved all sus-picions. Assoon, however,as he got Retiefand his followersat a disadvan-tage, he orderedtheir slaughter,which forthwithtook place. Not content with this first blow, a large impi or war party wasdespatched to attack and exterminate the remaining whitesin their camps on the Tugela and Bushmans Rivers. Theselatter, whilst anxiously awaiting Retiefs return, were in no fearof hostilities. For the most part, the men were absent onhunting trips. The camps were located at Doornkop,Blauwkrantz, Moord Spruit, Rensburgs Spruit, and severalother places along the Bushmans River. The impi sweptdown on thcni almost simultaneously in the night, and murder ? ,-3E!^jr,--^fsjrr-. MS niWER 226 of the foulest description prevailed. The Zulus sparednothing ; men, women, children, cattle, goats, sheep anddogs all fell before the ruthless spears. In the darkness andconfusion a few escaped. Amongst these were the Pretoriusand Rensburg families. Taking refuge on a hill now called Rensburg Kop, thefourteen men and boys who were of the number, contrivedto keep their assailants at bay. At the moment when theirammunition was almost expended, a mounted white man wasseen in the rear of the savages. The hard-pressed emigrantssignalled to him, and his ready mind, strained to the utmosttension, grasped the situation. Fearlessly he turned, and rodeto the abandoned wagons, nearly a mile off. Loading himself
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidcolonyofnata, bookyear1895
