登陆注册
14813600000002

第2章

Mr. Allan Quatermain's story of the wicked and fascinating Mameena, a kind of Zulu Helen, has, it should be stated, a broad foundation in historical fact. Leaving Mameena and her wiles on one side, the tale of the struggle between the Princes Cetewayo and Umbelazi for succession to the throne of Zululand is true.

When the differences between these sons of his became intolerable, because of the tumult which they were causing in his country, King Panda, their father, the son of Senzangakona, and the brother of the great Chaka and of Dingaan, who had ruled before him, did say that "when two young bulls quarrel they had better fight it out." So, at least, I was told by the late Mr. F. B. Fynney, my colleague at the time of the annexation of the Transvaal in 1877, who, as Zulu Border Agent, with the exceptions of the late Sir Theophilus Shepstone and the late Sir Melmoth Osborn, perhaps knew more of that land and people than anyone else of his period.

As a result of this hint given by a maddened king, the great battle of the Tugela was fought at Endondakusuka in December, 1856, between the Usutu party, commanded by Cetewayo, and the adherents of Umbelazi the Handsome, his brother, who was known among the Zulus as "Indhlovu-ene-Sihlonti", or the "Elephant with the tuft of hair," from a little lock of hair which grew low down upon his back.

My friend, Sir Melmoth Osborn, who died in or about the year 1897, was present at this battle, although not as a combatant. Well do I remember his thrilling story, told to me over thirty years ago, of the events of that awful day.

Early in the morning, or during the previous night, I forget which, he swam his horse across the Tugela and hid with it in a bush-clad kopje, blindfolding the animal with his coat lest it should betray him. As it chanced, the great fight of the day, that of the regiment of veterans, which Sir Melmoth informed me Panda had sent down at the last moment to the assistance of Umbelazi, his favourite son, took place almost at the foot of this kopje. Mr. Quatermain, in his narrative, calls this regiment the Amawombe, but my recollection is that the name Sir Melmoth Osborn gave them was "The Greys" or "Upunga."

Whatever their exact title may have been, however, they made a great stand. At least, he told me that when Umbelazi's impi, or army, began to give before the Usutu onslaught, these "Greys" moved forward above 3,000 strong, drawn up in a triple line, and were charged by one of Cetewayo's regiments.

The opposing forces met, and the noise of their clashing shields, said Sir Melmoth, was like the roll of heavy thunder. Then, while he watched, the veteran "Greys" passed over the opposing regiment "as a wave passes over a rock"--these were his exact words--and, leaving about a third of their number dead or wounded among the bodies of the annihilated foe, charged on to meet a second regiment sent against them by Cetewayo. With these the struggle was repeated, but again the "Greys" conquered. Only now there were not more than five or six hundred of them left upon their feet.

These survivors ran to a mound, round which they formed a ring, and here for a long while withstood the attack of a third regiment, until at length they perished almost to a man, buried beneath heaps of their slain assailants, the Usutu.

Truly they made a noble end fighting thus against tremendous odds!

As for the number who fell at this battle of Endondakusuka, Mr. Fynney, in a pamphlet which he wrote, says that six of Umbelazi's brothers died, "whilst it is estimated that upwards of 100,000 of the people--men, women and children--were slain"--a high and indeed an impossible estimate.

That curious personage named John Dunn, an Englishman who became a Zulu chief, and who actually fought in this battle, as narrated by Mr. Quatermain, however, puts the number much lower. What the true total was will never be known; but Sir Melmoth Osborn told me that when he swam his horse back across the Tugela that night it was black with bodies; and Sir Theophilus Shepstone also told me that when he visited the scene a day or two later the banks of the river were strewn with multitudes of them, male and female.

It was from Mr. Fynney that I heard the story of the execution by Cetewayo of the man who appeared before him with the ornaments of Umbelazi, announcing that he had killed the prince with his own hand.

Of course, this tale, as Mr. Quatermain points out, bears a striking resemblance to that recorded in the Old Testament in connection with the death of King Saul.

It by no means follows, however, that it is therefore apocryphal; indeed, Mr. Fynney assured me that it was quite true, although, if he gave me his authorities, I cannot remember them after a lapse of more than thirty years.

The exact circumstances of Umbelazi's death are unknown, but the general report was that he died, not by the assegais of the Usutu, but of a broken heart. Another story declares that he was drowned. His body was never found, and it is therefore probable that it sank in the Tugela, as is suggested in the following pages.

I have only to add that it is quite in accordance with Zulu beliefs that a man should be haunted by the ghost of one whom he has murdered or betrayed, or, to be more accurate, that the spirit ("umoya") should enter into the slayer and drive him mad. Or, in such a case, that spirit might bring misfortune upon him, his family, or his tribe. H. RIDER HAGGARD.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 名家经典散文选:情景两依依·情景卷

    名家经典散文选:情景两依依·情景卷

    “名家经典散文选”,包括 《万事融笔端·叙事卷》 《挥笔如传神·写人卷》 《情动于心中·抒情卷》 《情景两依依·情景卷》 《滴水见阳光·哲理卷》 《闲情说理趣·随笔卷》 《提笔如出鞘·杂文卷》 《宏论博天下·议论卷》共8册。本套散文所选文章除了当代我国的名家精品之外,还选择了一些当代外国名家经典散文,诸如法国作家雨果、大仲马,英国哲学家罗素,印度文豪泰戈尔等。这些中外文学大家的作品,知识丰富,思想深刻,对于我们开阔眼界、提升素养都有极大的帮助。这些散文大多以一种轻松随意的文笔,朴实自然地展现出了名家散文的基本状况,并以这些名家生卒时间为顺序进行编排,充分体现了这些名家散文的个性魅力和风格特色。
  • 佛说申日儿本经

    佛说申日儿本经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 案底神探

    案底神探

    主人公叶天本是皇家警察学院的高材生,毕业后也官路亨通,20岁年纪轻轻就当上了重案组长,患有低危抑郁症,智商又是卓群,任何细微的证据都逃不出他的眼睛,自己也可以根据现场的种种痕迹,脑海之中可以完美虚拟出案发现场的景象。但却一个莫大的神秘集团设计,不仅深受迫害,而且还锒铛入狱。出狱的那一刻他获得了“新生”,开始了新的生活!“新生”之后一场无可抗拒的豪门婚约,一名世界顶尖杀手的兄弟,无数让他费尽心思的案件,当然还有他的复仇之路。。
  • 古剑封神录

    古剑封神录

    仙陆九州,门派林立,正邪纷争,千年不休。蓝晔一个年及弱冠的少年,他原本的愿望只是平平静静地过一辈子,但命运却不给他这个机会,他把他一步步推向了既定的宿命。一切请期待小凡的《古剑封神录》。最后小凡在这里携《古剑封神录》向牛语者大大致敬,因为是他把我领进了,这个绚丽的仙侠世界。2015年8月23日
  • 校园风流学生

    校园风流学生

    自古英雄多好色,好色 未必皆英雄.吾辈虽非英雄汉,唯有好色似英雄.。人活世间,喧嚣浮躁,恬淡雅适,怎能没了风流?男人不风流,做人不入流
  • 超能术者

    超能术者

    世上的超能力者被分为两类,一边是啃食人类灵魂的死神,于之相反则是保护人类的术者.然而正义从不存在于世上,相互残杀是生物与生俱来的本性,没有对错也没有正义与邪恶,只是单纯的厮杀与进化.他便是那场永恒战役的产物……
  • 腹黑总裁的佣兵女王

    腹黑总裁的佣兵女王

    “只有我才有资格跟哥哥站在一起”异能者纷纷来扰,靠,什么情况....大姐大成为一代佣兵,只为跟他站在一起。
  • 双骑之恋

    双骑之恋

    一个与众不同的世界,一对青梅竹马的恋人,在这个神奇大陆上,两人共同谱写了一段段惊心动魄的爱情故事,当曾经相爱的两人成为敌人,战场兵戎相见的时候,又会是一段怎样的刻骨铭心?当大陆的末日来临时,他们是敌人?还是恋人?每周二,四,六更新一章。
  • 易烊千玺之黑白光阴终成灰

    易烊千玺之黑白光阴终成灰

    没有神力,却能读懂时间万物,唯有他和彼岸花,读不懂。万物也在潜移默化的演变,彼岸花语她懂了,但他始终是她心底的谜与密……
  • TFboys之久别重逢

    TFboys之久别重逢

    我叫沐梓言。我一直深爱着一个男孩,当我鼓起勇气向他表白时,他的手已经牵上了别的女孩的手,而那个女孩竟是我的闺蜜。我比他小一岁,他上大二我上大一的那年我们重逢了,他没有变,可是我变了……他总是说不爱我,那我何必要在这棵树上吊死?