The Government, most fortunately dissuaded by Mr. Saunders, decided not to accept the offer of a levy. Such, by the way, could not have exceeded 500 or 600 men. To have accepted, however, as was pointed out at the time, would not only have attracted to it thousands of Zulus from every part of the country, as well as from beyond its borders, but the very movements of such concourse as would have assembled would have caused a recrudescence of the alarming rumours and unrest of which the Colony had already had a surfeit, the net result of which would have been to greatly augment Bambata's forces, if Dinuzulu and 'his army' did not themselves join _en bloc_. The Commissioner was opposed to Dinuzulu being so called on, not because he doubted the Chief's loyalty, but, as he wired on the 19th, because "the country is in such a nervous state that if his people once commence to arm, people would flock to join him from all parts. This would not only cause a general panic, but would be made the greatest capital of by Bambata as absolute proof that Dinuzulu was arming to join him." At this time, moreover, Dinuzulu was in a somewhat poor state of health, "being enormously stout and suffering apparently from some dropsical and cutaneous disorder, which completely incapacitated him for any physical exertion." That the Government was not satisfied with Dinuzulu's passive and neutral attitude is seen from the fact that, on the 16th prox., the Commissioner was asked if he was still of opinion it was inadvisable to employ that Chief's men. In reply, Mr. Saunders adhered to the view already expressed. Instead of requiring Dinuzulu to go to the magistracy as suggested by himself, it was arranged Mankulumana should proceed to Sigananda to ascertain what was his attitude towards the Government, as well as to inquire pointedly by whose authority the rebels were being massed at Nkandhla. He was, moreover, to deny that Dinuzulu was in any way an instigator of what had occurred at Mpanza. Mankulumana, as has been seen, reached Empandhleni on the 23rd, and, after ascertaining from Mr. Saunders what message he was to deliver, moved on to see Sigananda at Nkandhla forests. He returned on the 26th to report he had been received by the rebels in a hostile spirit, being precluded by their leaders from meeting the Chief, and that he had made it as generally known as possible that Dinuzulu was not associated with Bambata. The Magistrate of Eshowe proceeded on the 20th to the neighbourhood of Fort Yolland, where he met three important Chiefs of that part with their followers. These begged the Government to send a force to protect them against raids that were being made by Bambata and Sigananda's _impis_. The Chiefs were told a force was coming and directed, in the meantime, to arm and defend themselves.