[ p i L ^ i r i i :
MOXTTI-I OF THE UMYOTI lilVEli, ON THE INDIAN OCEAN, NATAL.
THIS scene will be better described by an extract from my journal kept during my travels in South Africa; it bears
date September ntli, 1847. " Rodu from the Umvotl Mission station, in company with the Rev. Aldine Grout, to see the
mouth of the river, where it empties itself into the Indian Ocean. Our path lay for eight oi- ten niile.'i along open
grassy hills, with here and there a huge euphorbium-tree, or a clump of bush fi'om which wared the graceful slrditzia,
with its broad leaves split into ribands by the wind. Fi'om out of the long grass, which was frequently up to our
horses' middle, we put up antelopes and wild boars, and saw the secretai-y-bird, and the rhinocei-os-lionibill feeding on the
slopes of the hills where the grass had been burnt. Descending by an elephaut-path to the shore, we foijtid ourselves
on the firm white sand, where tlie river, after taking a sharp angular turn, empties itself into the ocean. Just at this
spot four lions, that had probably been dodging the timid riet-bucks behind the bushes, seeing they were surprised,
bounded off into the adjoining reeds, cari'ying theii- tails erect iu the air. The surf-rollcrs were dashing upon the shore,
driven on by a fresh east wind, and the glow of evening had settled over the landscape, imparting a soft goldeu lustre
to evei7 object that composed this solitaiy, yet beautiful, scene. There were some alligators basking in the last rays of
the sun upon the smooth yellow sand that fonned the boundary between the river and the ocean; and a huge crane,
with slow and steady flap, winged its homeward flight across the marehes."
The scene in the Plate is looking along the coast towards the north-east, shewing the rich hills that rise beyond
t h e reedy swamps that mark the mouth of the river, These reeds abound with hippopotami, which lie concealed during
die day amidst mud and water, leaving their hiding-places at night to graze in the pastures around, The trees to the
l e f t are the strelitzia alha; the blue convolvulus, the palmetto, and the amaryllis, grow abundantly amongst the brushwood
upon the shore. Not far from the mouth of the Umvoti is the site of King Chaka's great kraal, which was the largest
in the kingdom, and was totally destroyed after the assassination of that monarch by his brother Dingaan.
Joui-nal, Sept, 3d.—" Crossing the river, we rode through a countrj' pretty thickly scattered with mimosa-trees and
l ow bushes till we arrived at the spot where the capital of the Zulus once stood. It was a lonely and desolate place,
and it was not without some difficulty that we traced the ruins of ancient hearths and fireplaces beneath the almost
impenetrable covering of weeds and bushes that now wared rank and green above the mouldering relics of the past. This
g r e a t kraal was situated on the slopes of two hills, with a depression in the middle, unlike any other I have seen : at the
upper end was the ' issigothlo,' or seraglio, where Chaka was assassinated: his body lies buried beneath a heap of stones
close by, but the cxact locality is known only to one individual, who will on no account divulge the secret. It was here
we met witli many hmuan bones, and heaps of othere belonging to the oxen slaughtered by Umpanda to the spirit of
Chaka lay whitening among the grass. Tlie dancing-ground was more clear of bushes than the spot where Chaka fell,
and some of the polished clay fioore and fircplaces remained, distinctly marking the positions of the huts. But all is
desolate now—the spoiler has beeu there; the soil where blood was poured out, and the despot of Africa held his
court revels to the groans of his tortured rictims, is now covered with a rank and waving wilderness. The pale
glowworm shines beneath the dark bushes that shade the ashes of the harem; and the toad and the serpent lie i
the
damp placcs that once sen-ed as granaries for the busy multitude."