That the action taken by McKenzie's column during February and March was necessary, was shown by the altered demeanour of the tribes concerned, and the absence of all disorder among them during the later and more critical stages of the Rebellion. The existence of martial law and the military demonstrations and operations that took place may, indeed, have caused hardship in some cases. Although it was necessary to punish disaffected tribes as a body, every precaution was taken to prevent punishment falling on individuals, unless their conduct had made it desirable to deal with them apart from the rest of the tribe. In a report from Stuartstown, dated 25th February, McKenzie says: "Great unrest has existed ... caused by what the Natives consider to be excessive taxation. There is no doubt that Chiefs have been communicating with each other with a view to combination.... The mobilization of this column, consequent on the attack by Mjongo's party on the police (which appears to have been premature, from the general plan of operations by the disaffected Natives), has undoubtedly upset the scheme which was hatching." After McKenzie left Trewirgie for Richmond, Mveli continued, as directed, to search the Enon and other forests for the murderers of Hunt and Armstrong. Some of the rebels were traced to a thick bush some five miles from Nel's Rust. Here, strange to say, they, though greatly outnumbered, made a sortie on Mveli's force, when one of their number, Mjongo, used a rifle with expanding bullets. Five of Mveli's force were wounded. The rebels were driven back into the bush, where three were subsequently killed and eight taken prisoners. Among the latter was Mjongo himself. He had been severely wounded. Before the sortie was made, Mveli applied to be reinforced by European troops. Thirty-five European police were accordingly dispatched from Pietermaritzburg, with a company of N.R.R. from Richmond. The troops, however, arrived too late for the fight, though they helped to surround the bush. Another party of rebels, located at New Leeds, close to Thornville Junction, was also captured. In recognition of the good services performed by Mveli, he and twenty of his principal followers were presented to the Duke of Connaught, His Royal Highness having arrived at Durban in H.M.S. "Terpsichore" on a visit to South Africa, on the 21st of the same month. By the 2nd March the result was that, with the exception of three men (one of whom was wounded), the whole of the original party that attacked the police had been accounted for. * * * * *