. The Royal Navy . val Brigade with their rocketschecked the rush of the Zulu impis who retired,leaving 300 dead on the field. On the next daythe column reached Etchowe, and the news cameto Pearson of the terrible disaster of Isandhlwana,deciding him to entrench and hold his positionuntil reinforcements reached him. It is interest-ing to note that the Royal Navy was representedat Isandhlwana, for there was in the camp asignalman of the Active, who was attached to theStaff. He was last seen with his back against awaggon wheel using his cutlass with the utmostvigour against the Zulus, until one
. The Royal Navy . val Brigade with their rocketschecked the rush of the Zulu impis who retired,leaving 300 dead on the field. On the next daythe column reached Etchowe, and the news cameto Pearson of the terrible disaster of Isandhlwana,deciding him to entrench and hold his positionuntil reinforcements reached him. It is interest-ing to note that the Royal Navy was representedat Isandhlwana, for there was in the camp asignalman of the Active, who was attached to theStaff. He was last seen with his back against awaggon wheel using his cutlass with the utmostvigour against the Zulus, until one of the enemycreeping up behind assegaied him through thespokes. There was another Naval Brigade composed ofmen from the Shah, Tenedos, and Boadicea, that ac-companied the force which, under Lord Chelmsford,defeated the Zulus at Gingilhovo, and the next day,2nd April, relieved Etchowe. The Shah, indeed, hadbeen on her way home to England, but on arriving THE PRINCE OF WALES FIRST COMMAND, TORPEDO BOAT 79 1889. NAVY OF STEAM AND STEEL 261 at St Helena had heard of the Isandhlwana catas-trophe. Captain Bradshaw, her skipper, acted atonce with that quickness of decision and acceptanceof responsibiUty that is so characteristic of the navalofficer. He knew that no reinforcements couldarrive, and that there was every probability that theZulus might invade Natal, so, without any waitingfor orders, he proceeded at once to return toDurban. His opportune arrival and the landingof seamen and marines gave, naturally, increasedconfidence to the colony. In June the NavalBrigade, now numbering nearly 800 men, joinedCrealocks division and again crossed the Tugela;they, however, saw no more active service, as theywere encamped at Port Durnford and so wereseventy miles off when the decisive battle of thecampaign was fought at Ulundi. They, however,were of great service in landing stores from thetransports that had arrived at that place, a workof very great difficulty on account of the heav
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectgreatbritainroyalnav
