Cetshwayo’s messengers, ’Mfunzi and ’Nkisimane, came up from Pietermaritzburg on the 24th, and next morning were sent to the king with Lord Chelmsford’s reply to his message. A very awkward drift on the Uvulu River was passed by the column, after crossing which a day’s halt was made, when a cavalry patrol was sent out to destroy some military kraals. Two more indunas came in to ask for peace, and were sent back to Ulundi in the evening. On the 27th the force arrived at Entonjaneni, where the arrangements for the final advance on Ulundi were made, tents and all unnecessary baggage left behind, and a strong post formed with the aid of waggons. Four hundred waggons, 6000 oxen, and 800 mules were left entrenched here; the remaining 200 waggons, with ten days’ provisions, accompanying the advancing force. This evening two more messengers came in from the king with elephant tusks, some hundred head of oxen, and two trunks, the property of Lord Chelmsford. The messengers were sent back next day. _The Natal Colonist_ of June 28th says: “Again we hear that Ketshwayo has sent to Government, asking why Lord Chelmsford continues to advance. He (the king) hopes the General will not persist in advancing, as in that case he will be forced to fight, and what he wants is peace. This, we believe, makes the eleventh message he has sent in to the same effect. The General affects to doubt his _bonâ fides_. How is this to be established? Can his lordship think of no better guarantee than one which the most vigorous supporters of the war cannot term anything but childish?” This latter question is explained in another issue of the same paper, in which the editor remarks: “It is argued that the Zulus or the Zulu king cannot be sincere in desiring peace, because when the chance offers our troops are fired upon. If people would but consider for a moment, that until there is a truce or armistice agreed on we are living in a state of war; that our troops are in the Zulu country, making war upon its inhabitants, missing no opportunity of inflicting damage and injury upon them, burning their kraals, destroying their grain, ravaging their gardens, and firing on the natives themselves at every chance, what right, they would ask themselves, have we to expect that the Zulus should refrain from retaliation, however desirous they may be of seeing peace restored, and an end put to all the devastation and horror of prolonged warfare? _We_ do not profess to be otherwise than desirous of peace—peace with honour and security for the future—and yet are we not invading their country, and almost vaunting that we shall dictate its terms only when our invading columns have met at Ulundi, and planted the English flag there?”