THE MATABELE WARS. 738 the western side of the same hills. On the following day a cavalry patrol from Colonel Napier's force, under Captains Grey and Van Niekirk, had had an engagement with a large force of the rebels, killing from 90 to 100 of them, and losing two men killed and three wounded. They were supported by a detachment under Captain Selous. The maincolumn met with no further opposition, though they captured a number of cattle and burned all the kraals in the neighbourhood. They found several bodies of white men and women who had beenmurdered, which theyburied. Colonel Spreckley did not meet any force of the rebels, but he, too,captured a quantity of sheep,oxen, and grain, and burnt a number of kraals. He also came across the bodies of several murdered whites. The two columns reached Buluwayo on June 2nd."

were joined by part of the Buluwayo garrison with a Maxim gun,and shortly before midnight the force started in two small columnsto attack aMatabelecampreported to be about ten miles north-west of the town, on a branch of the Umguza River. One column was commanded by Plumer, the other by Major Watts. Major Watts with the right column came upon a considerable body of the enemy at 2 a.m. on the 25th, about eight miles out. Firing at once began by the bright moonlight. Plumer on hearing the firing wheeled to the right, and workinghis way through the bush came to the help of the other column. On his appearance the enemy gaveway. Onewhite man wounded, a Cape Boy woundedand another killed, were the losses of Watts's column. The advance continued, and at daybreak the enemy were found to be holding a ridge in front. After a brief exchange of fire they were charged by Gifford's Horse (part of the Buluwayoforce) and Plumer's Mounted Rifles, and driven from the ridge and pursued for some two miles. They were about a thous "d strong, and lost fifty or sixty killed. Two me. wounded was theloss of theReliefForce. Theaa wasthenresumed towards the Khami River,and in the afternoon another body of rebels was encountered, and defeated after a short fight. The enemy, 1,500 in number, abandoned a strong position when their flanks were threatened, losing seventyor eighty killed. On the side of the victors one whitetrooper waskilledandtwonativeswounded. The result of these encounters was to make it clear that in the open the Matabele were not dangerous enemies if boldly attacked. Their shooting was hopelessly bad, and they would havebeen more formidableif they had trusted to their old tribalweapons.

Mr. Rhodes had ridden on and reached the town the day before. On the 2nd, General Sir Frederick Carrington and his chief of the staff, Lieut.-Colonel R. S.Baden-Powell, alsoarrived, andColonel Plumer was able to report that the last of his troops had come up. It was an important day for Rhodesia. The crisis of danger was over, and it now only remained to put an end to the rebellion.

Sir Frederick decided to begin his campaign by clearing the enemy out of the country west and north of Buluwayo. Three columns, each about 300 strong, weretobe sent— thefirst,undei Colonel Plumer, along the line of the Khami River ; the second, under Captain McFarlane, along theUmguza ;and the third,underColonel Spreckley, to Inyati andShiloh. Plumer's and McFarlane's columns were to meet at the junction of theGuai and Umguza Rivers,about eighty miles out,and marchback together. The columnswere to take supplies for twentydays. The column returned to Buluwayo after the second encounter and the men were employed in patrol work in the neighbourhood. MeanwhileNapier's columnhad been making its way through the country north-east of the town. "After small actions on May 12th and 13th," writes Colonel Plumer, "they had moved along the main Salisbury road till the 19th, when they met the Salisbury column, with which was Mr. Rhodes,near the drift(i.e., ford) over the River Shangani. Colonel Napier then divided his force, sending 150 mountedand 150 dismounted under Colonel Spreckley, with a Maxim and a 7-pounder gun, to work along the eastern side of tlae Inceza and Euxla range of mountains, while he, with the main column, proceeded by Starting onJune 5th, Plumer and McFarlane thoroughly patrolled the districts assigned to them. Their scouts and detached parties had occasional skirmishes with small bodiesofrebels, but the general result of the march was toshow that the enemy had abandoned tlae country in that direction. Meanwhile there had been a fight close to Buluwayo on June 6th. Onthe evening of the 5th the startling report had reached headquarters that a considerable rebel force had camped close to the town. One of the officers going out for aride had come suddenly upon them, and could hardly believe his eyes. Colonel Spreckley's column had not yet started, and it was employed next morning to