Prisoners that had been arrested by McKenzie's and Leuchars' columns were tried by courts-martial appointed by the respective commanding officers. It was not in every case that the Commandant, with whom the necessary authority lay, felt able to confirm the sentences. At such a time, perhaps, it was not unnatural that the military officers, swayed by local and not unbiassed feeling, should have been led away by evidence which, though incriminating, would in any ordinary court of law have been regarded as insufficient to secure conviction and, even if sufficient, it still remained to weigh carefully the degree of punishment to be awarded. A case of this kind arose at Ixopo, the sentences in which, on review, the Commandant found himself unable to confirm as they stood. His decision, as a matter of fact justifiable from every point of view, excited surprise and even resentment in the troops who, for a moment, had overlooked the fact that they were in the field to carry out orders, not to question the adequacy or otherwise of action taken by their superiors. Responsibility for the peace of the country rested, not on their shoulders, but on those of the Government. * * * * * Subsequent to the arrest of the Christian Natives who had murdered Hunt and Armstrong, and to whom belongs the unenviable distinction of having started the Rebellion, and started it prematurely, a general court-martial was appointed to try them. The officers selected were: Lieut.-Col. J. Weighton, N.C., President; Lieut.-Col. A. Hair, N.C.; Major W. Knott, Militia Reserves; Captain H.A. Capstick, N.R.R.; and Captain H.L. Pybus, N.F.A. The venue was Richmond. The trial began on the 12th, and ended on the 19th, March. Twenty-four rebels[123] were arraigned by the prosecutor, Captain J. Fraser, N.R.R., on three charges, viz.: (i) public violence; (ii) murder and assault with intent to murder; and (iii) being in arms against the Government and actively resisting constituted authority, and aiding and abetting rebels against the Government. As the accused were undefended, a local attorney and efficient Zulu linguist, Mr. J.F. Jackson, was appointed by the Government to protect their interests. After a long and patient hearing, in which the strongest evidence was adduced, 17 of the 23 were found guilty of the first charge, 12 of the second, and 16 of the last. The 12 found guilty of the second charge were found guilty of the other two as well. In respect of the murder, sentence of death was passed; as to the others, the sentences were of imprisonment, lashes, and confiscation of property. It is somewhat surprising that none of the four daily newspapers in the Colony arranged for publication of digests of the evidence in this important trial. No doubt it was partly owing to this omission that misunderstanding arose as to the justice of the sentence.