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No enemy was met with during the first day's march, and they encamped on the Ioyuni, nine miles north of the Tugela, where they threw up intrenchments at once. The next day they marched to Matacoola, and thence on the following day seven miles farther, to Gingihlovo. This camp was situated on slightly rising ground, and the tower of Ekowe was distinctly visible from it.
The relieving force now pushed on to Ekowe, where they found the gallant garrison in great straits from want of food and from disease, brought on by living so long in confinement. During the siege 4 officers and 26 men had succumbed. Ekowe was evacuated, a force was left at Gingihlovo, and the column then returned to the Tugela.
Kambula and Gingihlovo had shown how British troops, when steady, could defeat great masses of the enemy; and it was inexplicable to all why a British force of some 15,000 men could remain for weeks inactive within but four days' march of the stronghold of the enemy.
The Naval Brigade bore their part in the fight at Gingihlovo, and were with the relieving force when it entered Ekowe. The garrison of this place, small as they were, had been prepared upon the following day to sally out to effect a diversion in favour of the column, should it again be attacked in its advance to Ekowe. The garrison was now relieved.
The garrison on their part were enabled to send to their friends accurate information of the state of their stores, and the time which they would be able to hold out. At length, on the 28th of March, the news arrived that the column would advance upon the following day. The relieving force was attacked at Gingihlovo, near the river Inyanzi, and there the Zulus were defeated with great loss.
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