(1881)
Up beyond the Inyati, where the frontier ranges rise,
Dark and lonely looms1 the mountain evil-starred;
Staring southward for the column, keeping vigil ’gainst surprise,
Standing2 grimly like a sentinel on guard.
But at night strange sounds re-echo, and dim phantoms3 rise from rest,
And the voices of dead captains call again;
Through the winds that wail4 and whimper round Majuba’s haunted crest5,
That is peopled by the spirits of the slain6.
John Sandes.
It would take too long to deal at all circumspectly7 with the history of South Africa. It was the Portuguese8 who originally discovered the Cape9 of Good Hope, and for long years they were the controllers of the sea and of Africa. Many years later other peoples began to colonise in far-away lands, and Sir Francis Drake ran across the Cape, but as yet there was no interest in the place from a commercial point of view; the coast was merely used as a suitable stopping-place. Later on the Dutch—who were a great sea people then—founded a colony where Cape Town now stands. The French soon followed them, particularly the Huguenots, who had fled from their own country and were glad to settle in Africa. Last of all, the British became very anxious to found a settlement, and in 1795 Cape Colony was added to the British Empire and the rule of the Dutch was ended. The Dutch, who have always proved a courageous10 and obstinate11 people, never ready to admit the superiority of anybody else, in due course made their way elsewhere, preferring hardship to dependence12.
After the wars of Napoleon the other Powers in Europe recognised that the British were supreme13 in South Africa, for which acknowledgment the Government paid Holland a large sum of money. From this time onwards troubles came at intervals14 from the Kaffir wars to the Zulu rising, from Majuba to that greatest of all campaigns in South Africa—the Great Boer War. From the beginning there were difficulties between the natives and the Boers, the Kaffir siding now with the English and now with the Boers, but usually against the latter. In the Kaffir campaigns the Highlanders took part, but they are not of sufficient importance to demand our attention.
There is one expedition, however, that has a memorable16 place in our history. Some men of the 2nd Battalion17 of the Black Watch, the 91st Argyllshire Highlanders, and the Highland15 Light Infantry18 were, in 1852, shipped for South Africa to take part in the campaign against the Kaffirs. They sailed upon the Birkenhead, and one dark night the ship went to pieces at a place called Danger Point. So swift and sudden was the shock that only a certain number of the boats could be lowered, and had they all been used there was quite an inadequate19 number for both the troops and the passengers. In perfect order the soldiers formed up in companies, and the women and children were lowered over the side. The horses were loosed and given a last chance for their lives. Then the boats put off and the Birkenhead was left to her fate. As the dawn was breaking, with those silent figures as steady as on parade, the Birkenhead disappeared, and four hundred British soldiers went to their death. That memorable scene has never been forgotten, and should be recalled as one of the most honourable20 and moving incidents in the history of the Highland regiments21.
Subsequent to the melancholy22 end of the Birkenhead, the Boers had made their Great Trek23, and the trouble with Dingaan, the Zulu chief, had resulted in the massacre24 of their comrades.
With the discovery of gold the whole aspect of South Africa changed. The country was suddenly inundated25 with all the riff-raff of Europe. The “gold rush” wrought26 more harm than can ever be fully27 estimated. Strife28 and trouble arose on every side. The Boers, who perpetually tyrannised over the natives, also attempted to tyrannise over the British. At last, on the 12th of April 1877, the South African Republic was taken over by the English, and the union Jack29 run up at Pretoria. Although the Boers were very much aggrieved30, they were quite unable to protect their rights in the matter, as the country was full of British troops.
A Zulu war broke out under Cetewayo, in which the Transvaal Boers would take no part, leaving the British to fend31 for themselves as best they could. Events followed hard upon each other. The terrible disaster of Isandlwana, where the British forces were cut off and suffered a loss of 800 men, sent a thrill through the whole of South Africa. Within a few hours there followed the heroic defence of Rorke’s Drift, when a handful of men kept 3000 Zulus at arm’s length for many hours. In 1879 the 91st Highlanders left for Zululand, to take their share in the defeat of the Zulus at the battle of Ulundi and the capture of Cetewayo.
In the meantime the dissatisfaction of the Boers had in no way diminished. Desiring to regain32 their freedom, they made preparations for doing so. They elected Kruger, Joubert, and Pretorius as their leaders, and, on the 16th of December 1880, raised the flag of the Republic at Heidelburg, their new capital. War was declared, and in January 1881 the British suffered a reverse at Laing’s Nek, where they remained strongly posted. Laing’s Nek was very close to a kopje that has passed into our history as Majuba Hill.
We know a great deal more about the Boers now than we did then. We did not realise at that time that they were a clever and courageous foe34, linking their intimate knowledge of the country with a sure and deadly marksmanship. The British troops in South Africa were quite inadequate in numbers to deal with such a situation. The 92nd Gordon Highlanders, with their famous march to Kandahar still vivid in the public mind, were hurried to reinforce the troops under General Sir George Colley at Prospect35 Hill.
General Colley had been instructed by Sir Evelyn Wood that he must not attempt an advance for the present. Despite this order he resolved to occupy Majuba Hill by night, and hold what appeared to be a superior position. Accordingly, at half-past eight on the evening of February 25, the little party, composed of 550 men of the Gordons and a party of the Naval36 Brigade, carrying 70 rounds of ammunition37 and three days’ rations33 but no water, began their ascent38 of Majuba Hill. At the base they left a detachment to guard their lines of communications, thus reducing the force to some 350 men. So far as Colley’s plan was concerned it was entirely39 successful. Just before the dawn broke the British were in possession of the summit, while far beneath them they could see the Boer camp beginning to stir for the day.
General White, V.C., who was then Senior Major of the Gordons, has described the situation in the regimental records. “The approaches,” he says, “to the brow below were nearly all concealed40 from the view of the defenders41 on the top. The slope of the hill leading up to the brow is broken by natural terraces, which run nearly round the hill, and which afford an enemy, under cover of his firing parties placed for the purpose, an opportunity of collecting in force on any point, and to circuit round the hill without coming under the fire, or even the observation of the defenders.”
To put it quite simply, the summit of the hill was like a saucer, while instead of a smooth slope down which the defenders could pick off the ascending42 foe, the cover was so ample that it was possible for the Boers to shoot the British against the sky-line without exposing themselves.
General Colley had expressed no deeper design than his wish that the men should hold the hill for three days. He made no preparations for the defence, he forbade the troops to entrench43 themselves, and so the day dawned, and the Boers awakened44 to the fact that Majuba Hill was occupied by the British. What followed is soon told. A storming party crept up the face of the hill, though quite out of sight of the British, and when Lieutenant45 Ian Hamilton of the Gordons approached General Colley, begging him to let them entrench themselves or charge, he merely repeated the fateful words, “Hold the place for three days.” The Boers, firing against the sky-line, opened the engagement. It was simply a question of time until the little garrison46 were picked off man by man. Too late was it when Colley, at last thoroughly47 alive to the danger, running hither and thither48, attempted to entrench his men. Still he refused to let the Gordons charge, and the Boers contented49 themselves for some time in reducing the number of the defenders. At last, growing contemptuous of such warfare50, they attempted to finish the business and carry the position by assault. Undaunted, but sick at heart, the Gordons drove them back at the point of the bayonet. The end was near at hand. One hundred and fifty of the Highlanders stood shoulder to shoulder, determined51 to hold out to the last. Sir George Colley, shot through the head, fell in the hour of his deep humiliation52. When at last the belated order was given to retreat, 200 men of that little force of 350 lay dead or wounded, and only 60 or 70 came out of the action. Lieutenant Ian Hamilton, who was later on to uphold the glory of the British arms against the Boers, was so badly wounded that when the enemy came to look at him they said, “You will probably die, you may go.”
It had been little less than a massacre. “The top of Majuba,” says Colonel M’Bean, “was a horrid53 sight. The first thing I saw was a long row of dead men—some 40 or 50 of them. There were also numbers of wounded men lying about, most of them frightfully wounded. I went towards the edge of the hill where so many of the 92nd had been killed.... The dead were all shot above the breast, in some men’s heads I counted five and six bullet wounds.”
It is now admitted that under the circumstances, and under the conditions of the defence, the disaster could not have been prevented. There was only one gleam in the encompassing54 gloom—to the last the British had fought without quailing55.
He knows no tears who in the van
And foremost fight
Met death as should an Englishman
Upon Majuba’s Height.
Whether foolishly or not cannot be discussed here, the British Government instructed Sir Evelyn Wood to come to terms at all costs, and the truce56 that resulted gave the Transvaal into Boer hands, with Mr. Kruger as President. We see now how unwise it was to permit this disgrace and humiliation to the British arms and the British name. Long years of quarrelling between the Boer colonists57 and those who acknowledged the sovereignty of England, were to make South Africa a place of miserable58 dissension. The easy success over a few hundred trapped British soldiers was magnified, in the eyes of the more ignorant Boers, into a victory over the whole English race, and until the Great War of 1899-1902 no occasion was ever let slip on which the name of ‘Majuba’ could be recalled and emphasised.
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1
looms
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| n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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3
phantoms
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| n.鬼怪，幽灵( phantom的名词复数 ) | |
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4
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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5
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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6
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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7
circumspectly
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| adv.慎重地，留心地 | |
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8
Portuguese
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| n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语 | |
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9
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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10
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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11
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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12
dependence
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| n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属 | |
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13
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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14
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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15
highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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16
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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17
battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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18
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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19
inadequate
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| adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的 | |
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20
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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21
regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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22
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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23
trek
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| vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行 | |
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24
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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25
inundated
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| v.淹没( inundate的过去式和过去分词 )；（洪水般地）涌来；充满；给予或交予（太多事物）使难以应付 | |
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26
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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27
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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28
strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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29
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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30
aggrieved
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| adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词) | |
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31
fend
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| v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开 | |
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32
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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33
rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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34
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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35
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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36
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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37
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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38
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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39
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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40
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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41
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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42
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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43
entrench
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| v.使根深蒂固；n.壕沟；防御设施 | |
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44
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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45
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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46
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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47
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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48
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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49
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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50
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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51
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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52
humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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53
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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54
encompassing
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| v.围绕( encompass的现在分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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55
quailing
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| 害怕，发抖，畏缩( quail的现在分词 ) | |
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56
truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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57
colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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58
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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