river Intombi, succeeded in making their escape.

On the 29th of March the column of relief advanced from the Tugela. It
consisted of the 99th, 91st, 57th, 3rd, 60th, several companies of the
Buffs, the Naval Brigade, 200 cavalry, and two battalions of the native
contingent. The Naval Brigade, consisting of the men of the _Shah_ and
_Tenedos_, with two 9-pounders and three Gatling guns, led the advance.
No enemy was met with during the first day's march, and they encamped on
the Ioyuni, nine miles north of the Tugela, where they threw up
intrenchments at once. The next day they marched to Matacoola, and
thence on the following day seven miles farther, to Gingihlovo.

This camp was situated on slightly rising ground, and the tower of Ekowe
was distinctly visible from it. From this Colonel Pearson flashed
signals that a large force of the enemy was on the march. Intrenchments
were thrown up, and the force remained in readiness for an attack. At
half-past five in the morning large masses of the enemy were sighted.
They crossed the river Inyanzi, and advanced in their usual
crescent-shaped formation. The camp was formed in a square; the 60th
Rifles were holding the face first threatened by the enemy. For half an
hour the 60th were hard at work; but their steady fire beat back the
enemy at this point. Sweeping round to the right, they then made a
determined effort to force their way in on that side, but were met and
checked by a tremendous fire from the 57th and 91st.

Nothing could be finer than the way in which the natives advanced to the
attack upon the line of intrenchments, and, notwithstanding the
tremendous musketry fire which they encountered, they pressed forward so
closely that for some time it appeared as if they would force their way
to the intrenchments, and bring the matter to a hand-to-hand fight. The
fire, however, proved too much for them, and they wavered and began to
fall back. Then the little body of cavalry sallied out from the camp,
and fell upon them, and the native contingent followed and took up the
pursuit hotly. The Zulu army was composed of some of the picked men of
the best regiments of the king, and the result showed conclusively that
British troops, if only properly led, can resist an attack of any
number, even of the most gallant savages. The loss of the Zulus was
estimated at 1500.

The relieving force now pushed on to Ekowe, where they found the gallant
garrison in great stra