The narrative of my personal experiences in the late Zulu
Campaign would be incomplete without a short sketch of the
political causes which led up to the outbreak of the war ; and I
shall, therefore, endeavour to lay before the reader, as briefly
as possible, a statement of the relations between Zululand and
our South African colonies, and more particularly between that
country and the Transvaal and Natal, which both lie contiguous
to it.
It has been very commonly and repeatedly, but very inaccu-
rately, stated that Sir Bartle Frere " caused the war.'* The
truth is that a diffici;ilty, likely to culminate in war, had existed
in connection with Zululand for fully a quarter of a century
before Sir Bartle Frere set foot in South Africa ; and the exis-
tence of this difficulty was well known to the Home Government*
Sir Bartle Frere was sent out as High Commissioner to endea-
vour to put an end to the trouble, without war if possible ; and
events proved that the Zulus would not yield to any of his re-
quests unless he showed himself willing, if necessary, to enforce
them. He was thus placed in the position of deciding whether
he would leave the danger, which threatened Natal and the
Transvaal directly, and the whole of our South African Colonies
indirectly, unchecked ; or would insist, if need were, by force.
viii Introduction.
upon such securities being given by Cetywayo, the Zulu King,
as would make our colonies secure from invasion in the future.
