Tuesday 21st January
Isandula Camp
Zululand
Dear Mata and Papa
Well we have eventually managed to get all the wagons to our new camp site, the devil knows how they are going to be going back and forth along that so called track.
Theres been a lot of movements today backwards and forwards. Mostyn and F company of the 2/24th arrived this morning from Helpmakaar having spent the night camping with the stranded wagons.
Dartnell left a short time ago with a mounted party to scout the Mangeni Gorge area. Lonsdale and Brown have taken their bunch of hooligans around the hill to our right front, Malakatha I think its called.
I hear that Lt Browne MI had a brush this morning out on the plain near a rather large hill called iSiphezi, what dreadful names these locals come up with, far better if it were called Mount Victoria or such like. Anyway to continue, it seems that Brown was attacked by around twenty or so Zulu and forced to retire, he did manage to bag four or so, leads one to wonder what they were protecting.
Life in camp isn't all that cordial at present, rather peaceful but uneasy really. I overheard the Adjutant, Melvill, remember him from the tea party mama what a delightful man, takes no nonsense from the higher ranks, he was addressing one of the staff officers about concerns for the camps position in the event of an attack. Funny really Brown, the kiwi chappie, dreadful oaf was muttering the same earlier. But really a bunch of ignorant savages attacking us, tut what would the world be coming to. We would be forced to give them a thrashing and send them on their way smarting a touch.
Had George Shepstone, nice chap considering hes a colonial, around earlier. Seems his man Durnford has eventually pitched up at Rorkes Drift and sent him on to get orders from The General
Ah just looking out the tent door and I see the General and his entourage are on the move, looks like they are going to potter around on the ridge. Must say old dears, Richard Glyn looks a bit down in the dumps, a tad miffed about something. And of course right up the Generals backside, sorry to be course mumsy, is that odious man Crealock. Makes me shudder really.
Ah theres old Bloomfield, marvellous example of Quartermaster turpitude. Never gives a damn thing away without two signatures and a paw print of the Colonels Dog, saying which haven't see the dogs around for a while, wonder if those bloody NNC blighters have been eating them again? He's muttering something to Coghill about wagons, if he expects to get any wagons further than this place he had better kick young Anstey's arse, sorry there I go again, and the fatigue party of his trying to work on the road.
Road? ha, more like that bloody path going down to the shooting hide near the the lake on the the estate.
Remember that one Pata, its the one mumsy caught you and the 2nd floor maid................ /2
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