Inyezani, and its regular departure did much to expedite the forward movement of that force. On the 5th May, however, a somewhat more exciting episode took place. A convoy of the usual description was paraded on that day for the conveyance of stores and ammunition to the Inyezani. Fifty waggons, not too heavily laden, with 3000 barrels on each, were detailed under the protection of a convoy, composed of C Troop of Lonsdale's Horse, commanded by Captain Hampden Whalley. From the foot of the fort whence the convoy started stretches a sandy plain, dotted with trees, and containing about 3000 acres. This, as it gets narrowed into a gorge between the river and the mountains, becomes broken, being intruded upon in every direction by foot-hills and watercourses. The fort cattle were grazing upon this plain under the charge of some of De Burgh's horsemen, when, as the convoy was passing across the first drift over the river, about two miles from the fort, but out of sight of the sentries, suddenly there sprang out from gully and kloof hundreds of swarthy warriors, who set to work, some shouting and firing, to try and drive the cattle away through the pass, whilst others, by far the larger portion, made a combined onslaught upon the leading and rear waggons of the train. The convoy had, therefore, a double duty to perform--to assist De Burgh's men in recovering the grazing cattle, and also to beat off the Zulus who were attacking the waggons. Their object was to intercept the cattle now being run off at a rapid pace, and to secure the waggons in front and rear, which had been partly surrounded by the enemy. Whalley at once despatched a messenger to the fort for assistance, and remaining himself, as in duty bound, to repulse the waggon attack, detached about twenty of his best men, under his subaltern, to overtake and bring back the absconding oxen. The waggons were soon out of danger; for the men dashed at the Zulus in such a determined manner that the attacking party, not very numerous, soon bolted into the bush, but the other portion of the skirmishes deserves description. After a gallop of a mile the leading troopers in pursuit came up with the enemy and the cattle, which were now all in confusion and involved in the broken waterworn hills at the foot of the pass, and, on looking back, they were astonished and considerably mortified to find that they did not appear to be followed by the rest of their party! Undauntedly, however, the sergeant in command pushed on, firing steadily and with fatal effect from the saddle, and, with his gaze fixed firmly upon the leading cattle, worked his way through the frightened oxen to the front. He was well and gallantly followed by half a dozen men, who had managed to keep up with him in his rapid ride in pursuit, and these fine fellows, nothing daunted by the numbers of the enemy, kept potting away at every Zulu that showed his head from behind the rocks, to which most of them had now retreated.