It was surrounded by a stockade, in addition to the outer walls of houses, and the part where the chief had evidently lived was divided off from the rest of the village, and was also the gateway. The gates were heavy slabs of wood, hewn out of the solid trunk, and those wanting to enter could only go up to the principal gate one at a time, as a wing of palisading projected on either side in the form of a long U, with holes to use assegais through, so that it would be no pleasant attempt to try to force an entrance against the will of the dwellers therein. There were some other smaller doorways in the outer walls of the house, forming part of what might be termed the _enceinte_, which closed in a sort of portcullis fashion. A number of heavy logs had holes in their upper ends, and the wall plate was rove through them. When the doorway is open, these logs are triced up inwards and out of the way, and when closed the outer sides of the lower ends butt, as it were, against a strong fixed log, and are secured by a strong movable log inside. On the 23rd, Brigadier-General Wood halted, still on the left bank of the Umlatoosi, for the purpose of building a fort, which was to be held by two companies of the 58th, two of Harness's field-guns, and some irregular cavalry. The outlines and profiles were soon traced by experienced though not professional engineers, and on the evening of the same day the place was securely defensible. The spot chosen by Wood to build the fort is on the Umlatoosi, and in a position naturally of great strength, for the river there makes a rapid bend and affords a ready means of both banks being swept and commanded from the work. A rude and most insecure bridge, formed of a couple of huge trees, already existed, but this was now under water, while the strength of the current was so great when the survey was being made that several of Wood's men were washed off, and only saved themselves by catching at bushes on the bank. In the centre of the stream there is an island, and upon this an outwork was constructed. This island is situated amongst numerous rapids and cascades, breaking out from the rocky hillside. The difficulties of getting across seemed at first sight almost insuperable, but after a time it was discovered that there were places where it was possible to jump from rock to rock, and then to wade through the rapids themselves on narrow shelves, holding meanwhile "like grim death" by ropes of creepers, stretched from side to side for that purpose. It will be, of course, understood that a single false step, or the snapping of the creeper-rope, at these points would be fatal, for nothing could save the traveller in that case from being dashed to pieces amongst the rocks beneath. The stream below this was about fifty yards wide, very deep, and running like a sluice. Happily a passage was effected without any casualty. Looking back from the other side a most