H. Rider Haggard and the Anglo-Zulu War in Fact and Fiction

Is this fact or Fiction. (Fiction I hope.)

On 25 April they visited the battlefield of Ulundi "passing the spot where our friend and ally, King Panda, was buried. His grave was robbed by British soldiers and it is said his skull is now at Netley hospital. To my mind it was a shameful act, especially as the burying places of their kings are very sacred to the Zulus.

Littlehand. I cannot find any other reference to this, other than what you have posted. I will keep looking but it probably fiction.

I have read this somewhere before, I will try and dig it out. I do believe its true. It could have been in one of Ian Knights books.

sas1

Littlehand you will find this interesting [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Page 87 & 88

We were going with some soldiers and natives under Col. ; there were 400 soldiers and 180
natives. In the morning the Colonel and officers asked John Dunn — "Where is the grave of Mpande?" He pointed with his hand and showed where it was a long way off. We started after breakfast, and got there about noon. The soldiers took with them four spades and a pick. John Dunn went with us, and pointed out the place again when we came to it. Mpande's grave was in the middle, fenced in with stakes, and with other graves aroimd it. It was in the midst of a thicket of bush ; but some of the trees had been burnt last year by a grass-fire. The soldiei-s fii-st pulled up the stakes and made fires with them to cook their food. Then came two soldiers with spades, and another with a pick, together with Col.. They dug up the King's grave, and came first upon some stones and wicker-work, and then they took out his bones wrapped in his blankets. I stood near enough (about ten or fifteen yards off, as indicated) to see that there had been four blankets of different colours wrapped round the body, one inside the other, and outside there had been a kaross made of jackal-skins; but this last was quite rotten, and three of the blankets also were much decayed, though one
seemed to be sound and held together. The white men were surpiised and said, " How is it that the blankets have lasted so long (seven yeai's) 1 " The black people asked our captain, " What are you doing, digging up a man's bones 1 " Said he, " We are doing it in order to catch the King for, now that we have dug up his father, we shall soon catch him." So they took out all his banes, a soldier
belonging to the hospital handling them, and I saw the bones of the King, and the skull with the teeth, and the leg-bones they took them all, and


SS Bishop of Natal' s Notes.

put them into a box which had held food (biscuits), and shut it up, and put it in a mule-wagon to carry it away. We asked our captain, " What would be done with them " Said he, " They will be carried across the sea to be looked at." Then they put back the stones upon the grave, and covered it over, and we went away. John Dunn did not stay all the time; he showed the place, and saw them pull up the stakes, and then went on.'

Statement of a Natal Native Pioneer.

The conduct of the English in rifling Mpande's grave contrasts strangely with that of the Zulus, as described by the Correspondent of the Times of Natal, dating Umlalazi Plains, July 22, 1879.'

I have just been talking to a man who has been to Etshowe with the Staff, and he tells me that the chuch and houses are all burned, pulled down, or destroyed. The cemetery has not been interfered with in any way by the Zulus,and the whole of the monuments remain a left

Will Mpande's bones be sent to England? If so, where will they be kept or (?) exhibited And by
whose orders was this deed of shame committed Besides the infamous act of sacrilege, could a greater and more deliberate insult have been offered to the whole Zulu Nation than this ?

Thanks Pete. Well its not fiction, I have been on the Nedley Hospital Website nothing about a Zulu Skull. Anyone know any avenues I could try.

I wonder if its possible, that Panda’s skull was given back to Cetshwayo when he returned to South Africa

I spent most of last night looking for leads. Nothing. CTSG has a good point. It’s a good possibility.

SOUTH AFRICA—ZULULAND—AL- LEGED REMOVAL OF THE REMAINS OF THE LATE KING, PANDA.
HC Deb 08 July 1881

MR. R. N. FOWLER
Asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the alleged digging up and removal of Panda's remains in Zululand have made their Report; and, if so, will he lay it upon the Table of the House?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE
Sir, Commissioners were not appointed; but the Secretary of State for War desired Sir George Colley to report upon this matter, and a despatch was received from him, from which it appeared that no trustworthy information could be procured. A telegram has been sent to Sir Evelyn Wood asking whether any further steps were taken by Sir George Colley. There will be no objection to produce the Papers when they are complete.

Who really knows !!!