the days of my life

第21部分 (第2/7頁)

at　Isandhlwana　I　for　one　expected。　Indeed　I　remember　writing　to　friends　prophesying　that　it　would　occur；　and　their　great　astonishment　when　on　the　same　day　that　they　received　the　letter　the　telegraph　brought　the　news　of　that　great　destruction。　This　far…sightedness；　however；　was　not　due　to　my　own　perspicacity；　but　to　the　training　that　I　had　received　under　those　who　knew　the　Zulus　better　than　any　other　men　in　the　world。

One　of　these；　Mr。　Osborn；　who　afterwards　was　appointed　Resident　in　Zululand；　was　so　disturbed　by　what　he　knew　was　ing　that；　after　a　good　deal　of　reflection　he　wrote　a　solemn　warning　of　what　would　occur　to　the　troops　if　their　plan　of　advance　was　persisted　in；　which　warning　he　sent　to　Lord　Chelmsford　through　the　officer　manding　at　Pretoria。　It　was　never　even　acknowledged。　I　think　that　I　saw　this　letter；　or；　if　I　did　not　not；　Osborn　told　me　all　about　it。

The　disaster　at　Isandhlwana　occurred　on　January　22；　1879。　A　night　or　two　before　it　happened　a　lady　whom　I　knew　in　Pretoria　dreamed　a　dream　which　she　detailed　to　me　on　the　following　day。　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　I　cannot　remember　all　this　dream。　What　I　recall　of　it　is　to　the　effect　that　she　saw　a　great　plain　in　Zululand　on　which　English　troops　were　camped。　Snow　began　to　fall　on　the　plain；　snow　that　was　blood…red；　till　it　buried　it　and　the　troops。　Then　the　snow　melted　into　rivers　of　blood。

The　lady　whom　it　visited　was　convinced　that　this　dream　portended　some　frightful　massacre；　but　of　course　it　may　have　sprung　from　the　excited　and　fearful　feeling　in　the　air　which　naturally　affected　all　who　had　relatives　or　friends　at　the　front。

A　stranger　and　more　inexplicable　occurrence　happened　to　myself。　On　the　morning　of　the　23rd　of　January；　which　was　the　day　after　the　slaughter；　I　saw　the　Hottentot