.

PANDA'S PRAYER.
About six weeks later, in the month of November, 1856, I chanced to be at Nodwengu when the quarrel between the princes came to a head.
Although none of the regiments was actually allowed to enter the town--that is, as a regiment--the place was full of people, all of them in a state of great excitement, who came in during the daytime and went to sleep in the neighbouring military kraals at night.

One evening, as some of these soldiers--about a thousand of them, if I remember right--were returning to the Ukubaza kraal, a fight occurred between them, which led to the final outbreak.
As it happened, at that time there were two separate regiments stationed at this kraal.

I think that they were the Imkulutshana and the Hlaba, one of which favoured Cetewayo and the other Umbelazi.

As certain companies of each of these regiments marched along together in parallel lines, two of their captains got into dispute on the eternal subject of the succession to the throne.