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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:53 pm

Just interested to learn back in 1879 where did the troops embark / disembark and how long did it take to get Natal, Isandlwana etc. Assuming mode of transport was boat, wagons and foot?

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:59 pm

Ayr

Very approximately, four to five weeks from England to the Cape, another four or five days minimum round the corner to Durban, where the surf and the bar could cause further delays. (This was a good week or more faster than 20 to 30 years earlier, when 6, 7 or 8 weeks was not unusual for the Cape trip, depending on which islands were visited during the outward voyage. It was even occasionally not unknown to be in sight of Brazil!).

Looking at the dates of sailings and arrivals of the various ships racing to carry reinforcements to S Africa after Isandlwana, no ship appears to have reached Natal in less than four and a half weeks, and some were a week or so longer. Many of the reinforcements marched straight up the coast to fight at Gingindlovu and relieve Eshowe, rather than head for PMB or northern Natal.

Before the war commenced, travelling from Durban to Helpmekaar via PMB and Greytown and then the "border road" took the troops a long time - one week, two weeks and more - because of the appalling conditions of Nov/Dec/Jan 1878/9 - rain, mud, more rain, more mud! Hills, valleys and swollen rivers all the way. Most arrived at Helpmekaar filthy and exhausted around Christmas time. Marching all the way and pushing loaded wagons too! Don't forget, though, that most of the force didn't come from Durban but up country from Cape Colony via Kaffraria - a march of hundreds of miles for many of the troops of the 24th. And many auxiliaries were formed up in Cape Colony or from all over Natal, especially African levies, NNC etc. From memory I think one force disembarked at Port Shepstone or St John's but I can't swear to that.

The river crossing at R/Drift was completed in one day, I think, with a large camp on the Zulu bank for about nine days. Then a day for most of the column to march to Isandlwana on the 20th and most of the remainder the next day. A number of obvious exceptions to all of the above, of course.

Peter

Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:12 am

Peter and Ayr

Writing home on May 19, a Welsh soldier, 2073 Pte. William Davies of the 91st Highlanders, notes that:

Bum hytrach yn glaf am dri diwrnod ar fwrdd y llong. Buom ar y m�r am 27ain o ddyddiau ...

We were at sea for 27 days. I was sea-sick for three of them ...

Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:13 pm

Paul

Good work - you found one of my "obvious exceptions"!

Taking a less cursory look at those sailing schedules of the post-Isandlwana reinforcements, I calculate that a journey time of about 37 or 38 days was the average for the first dozen or so vessels, coming down to an average of about 34 or 35 days for some of the later ones (ignoring the hapless Clyde and the City of Paris, of course). The longest journey seems to have been endured by some Army Hospital Corps personnel on the Florence, which left the SW India Docks on 20 Feb and only arrived at the Cape on 2 April and Natal four days later - 45 or 46 days at sea, or six and a half weeks. Virtually all vessels called in at Simon's Bay or Table Bay before continuing on to Natal.

Your chap Davies embarked at Southampton on the Pretoria on 19th Feb, the regiment having the ship to itself. They called at Madeira on the 25th, Table Bay on 13th March and arrived in Natal (presumably Durban) on the 17th, so he was spot on with 27 days, depending on how much of the first and last dates are included. I would suggest he thought the remark worth making in his letter because of the speed of the voyage. That was fast for 1879 (and the quickest passage of all for these reinforcements) although I'm sure the stops were kept to an absolute minimum compared with normal Cape traffic. The next fastest was the Manora, carrying artillery personnel, horses & carriages as well as some Gatlings and ASC, and managing the voyage in 29/30 days.

Incidentally, the above schedules are published as Appendix B of the Narrative, although could no doubt be verified from contemporary announcements and updates in The Times - but it would be a long job!

Peter