"It seems to me that no terms can possibly be made with Cetywayo which can be compatible with such a result, save with the indispensable preliminary of his entire submission." [Sidenote: _Cetywayo's peace offers._] In the beginning of July Lord Chelmsford's column was within ten miles of the king's kraal at Ulundi. Messengers again arrived from Cetywayo, and on this occasion they brought the sword of the Prince Imperial as a peace offering. The amanuensis of Cetywayo was a Dutchman, named Vogel, who took the opportunity of marking in pencil on the envelope of the letter, that the king had 20,000 men with him. The reply of Lord Chelmsford was as follows:—"If the induna, Mundula, brings with him the 1000 rifles taken at Isandhlwana, I will not insist on 1000 men coming in to lay down their arms, if the Zulus are afraid to come. He must bring the two guns and the remainder of the cattle. I will then be willing to negotiate. As he has caused me to advance by the great delay he has made, I must now go to the Umvolosi to enable my men to drink. I will consent, pending negotiations, to halt on the further bank of the river, and will not burn any kraals until the 3rd of July, provided no opposition is made to my advance to the position on the Umvolosi, by which day, the 3rd of July, at noon, the conditions must be complied with. If my force is fired on, I shall consider negotiations are at an end, and to avoid any chance of this, it is best that Mundula come to my camp at daybreak or to-night, and that the Zulus should withdraw from the neighbourhood of the river to Ulundi. I cannot stop the general in command of the coast army until these conditions are complied with." Of course, nothing more was seen or heard of Mundula. On the 2nd of July an impi, 20,000 strong, advanced from Ulundi as if to attack. Newdigate and Wood, at a short distance from each other, immediately laagered their waggons, and these preparations seemed to check the enemy. It is possible that Cetywayo had personally some idea of surrendering, as it is stated that a large herd of white cattle (the royal colour) was seen coming towards the camp from the direction of Cetywayo's new stronghold at Mahize Kanye. A number of men came out and drove the cattle back. A sudden scare or panic had just taken place at the camp. Men of the Native Contingent, having become alarmed, rushed in over a portion of the 2-4th Regiment; our short-service red jackets, seeing naked black men rushing in past them, assegai in hand, imagined that the Zulus were upon them, and fled in terror within the laager. So demoralized did the men become, that it required the exertion of physical force on the part of their officers to induce them to return to their posts. [Sidenote: _Preparations for battle._]