I'm a little confused by Lt Chard's report about arriving at Isandlwana on the morning of the 22nd Jan.
He wrote that he was lent a field-glass by a NCO of the 24th, and through them could see the enemy moving on distant hills, and apparently in great force.
Chard continued watching them moving to his left until the lion hill of Isandlwana, on my left as I looked at them, hid them from my view.
From this Chard then went on to say he though that perhaps the Zulu were to make a dash for the ponts. On leaving Isandlwana, he meets Col Durnford a quarter mile way - and considering most agree than Durnford arrived at Isandlwana at 10:30, means Chard must of left at around say 10am/10:15am.
So my question is, who were the Zulu's he spotted? It must have been a company of NNC surely? For Chard to have spotted any Zulu's in the distant hills means that they were silhouetted on the ridge line of the Nqutu plateau, there's no other explanation (in my mind anyway).
Am I right?