The magnificent defence of Rorke's Drift forms tbe only bright spot in the history of the war bo far, and later news more than confirms the previous estimate of the splen did sUnd made by Lieutenants Chard and Bromhead and their men, which, it is now quite clear, saved the whole Colony from devastation. The official report of Lieutenant Chard to the General gives in plain language the history of the affair, from which it appears that he himself had hardly time to get back to the oamp and approve of Bromheal'a ingenious utilisation of meal bags and biscnit'tins as a barricade, when the Zulus were upon them. Flushed with the slaughter of Isandula they came right up to the walls, seizing the very muzzles of the gnns, and endeavouring, by the same tactics that had proved so lamentably successful at Isandula — viz., sheer weight of cumbers— to overwhelm the defenders. But they found that surrounding British troops in the open is one thing, and attacking them behind defences altogether another. In spite of enormous superiority of numbers, the Zulus were never able to obtain a footing inside Bromhead's improvised ramparts, the few who did get over being instantaneously bayoneted. The black warriors fought en all night with indomitable courage, and only retired when the General's forces appeared the next morning, and brought welcome relief to the weary but still determined garrison. The story of the brave defence will not soon die cut of men's minds, for even British soldiers here surpassed themselves • and they are to have their reward. Chard and Bromhead are already gazetted captains and brevet-majors, and the V.C. and C.B. will follow »s a matter of course. Four of the soldiers mentioned in Chard's dispatch also r«o*ive the coveted croBS, and every man vho was present and fought at Rorke's Drift will r«ofcive, over and above the usual w»r medal, a special badge in memory of that splendid fight.
