It will be remembered that when Tshaka set about conquering the various tribes of Zululand and Natal, some of the more important broke away and fled to far-off parts, _e.g._ Rhodesia, Lake Nyasa, Gasaland, etc. Having regard to the enormous prestige acquired by the Zulus, a prestige which outshone that of any other tribe in South Africa south of the Equator, not only did tribes adjoining those which had arrived find it in their interest to copy the habits and customs of the dominant race and learn their tongue, but more particularly to adopt the system by which the prestige had been won. Thus a description of the system has the added interest of perhaps throwing light on what, in point of fact, has become practically the basic idea or exemplar of all Native military organizations in South Africa. Had a tolerably comprehensive sketch of the system and its connected customs been available, the present attempt would not have been made.] [Footnote 71: Dingiswayo, Chief of the Mtetwa tribe (near St. Lucia Bay, Zululand), is, curiously enough, believed to have had one or more fundamental features of the system suggested to him, either from observing the organization of British soldiers, as might have been done in the Cape Colony at the beginning of the nineteenth century, or, at least, by obtaining a detailed account thereof from some person familiar therewith.] [Footnote 72: At intervals, as the hair grew long, it would be removed, but only to enable it to be sewn closer to the head.] [Footnote 73: The badge known as _tshokobezi_, worn especially by followers of Dinuzulu, is referred to later (p. 198, note).] [Footnote 74: Separate bivouacs were appointed for fear of regiments fighting one another.] [Footnote 75: Nearly all these were obtained prior to the Imperial Government's assumption of control in Zululand (May, 1887).] V. EVENTS AND CONDITIONS ANTECEDENT TO OUTBREAK OF HOSTILITIES.--MURDER OF HUNT AND ARMSTRONG.