Eclipse At Isandlwana.

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One time we are sure of, and it makes a good anchor point, is the eclipse. That was at its height at 2:29.

Funny thing this eclipse. Its seems that it only occurred over the Battlefield and nowhere else. There are no reports from Rorkes Drift, and no reports from The Good Lord Chelmsford’s column. How can that be. Sorry not trying to hi-jack the topic just thought it was a valid point.

Good point CTSG. I can’t find any mentioned of it in the statements at the court of enquiry (Could be wrong) But your right there was no mentioned of it at Rorkes Drift.

Here's an old dicussion on the samething Chart gives some data. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

CTSG. Found this but the times are quite away off.

From Commandant Schumbrucher to Colonel Wood, V.C., C.B., Commanding No 4 .Column, Zululand. Luneburg,23rd January., 1879.

1. At midnight last night I received news that Umbelini said to have a following of about 3,000 fighting men, was expected to move from Intombe mountains during that night to gain the place called Umbelini's Caves, of which I gave, you a description in my letter of 28th December last.
There he would collect such additional forces as he could. draw from this District, cross over in full force to the Pongolo Bush above Engelbrechts, and. from; there direct his attacks upon Luneburg and surrounding places. The information came through one of Umbelini's men, who had left the main force on Tuesday before daylight in order to warn a certain native family living on the Pombetrion, his particular friends, and it bore all the evidence of truth.
2. I immediately sent three men on horseback to the Pongolo Drift where Umbelini would most likely cross, near the confluence of the Tombe of Pongolo there to lay in wait; and hurry back should they observe any large party approaching. I likewise despatched the natives attached to my command to watch the Tombe Drift, half-way between this and Umbelini's Caves, with similar instructions ; and at daybreak I ordered a strong mounted patrol of German Burghers to patrol beyond the Pongolo towards Zungin's Neck.
3. All the patrols and' scouts have returned now (5 p.m.) reporting everything apparently quiet, and no Zulu force to be seen nor any spoor to be found of a large number of men or cattle, but a Zulu woman was met by Nkosana (a fat native constable). She says that she came from Umbelini's Impi; that an engagement had taken place on Tuesday which prevented Umbelini from carrying out his march upon Luneburg; that Umbelini's and Magolosini's forces had been joined at Zungin's neck, and were attacked by a small white force; the white men fired and retired, stood again and fired and retired, and repeated this several times; that each time they killed many Zulus, whereas the Zulu bullets fell all-short. She could not say how many, but she knew that very many Zulus were shot, and amongst the wounded she had seen with her own eyes a great Captain, Makukunesani, who belonged to Diligaan's people, and was the Captain of the whole Pongolo District; he was shot through the breast,-and was still living on Tuesday night. His being mortally wounded had caused great consternation amongst the Zulus.. The woman further states that she left Umbelini's force on Tuesday night, and that she heard all yesterday (Wednesday) heavy firing towards Zungin's Neck. The woman's statement seems to me very probably true, but under any circumstances I thought it well to give you a minute account. If true, it will give me all the more confidence in the sagacity and faithfulness of my own men in carrying out their reconnoitering patrol.
4. I have led the water close to the entrance of Fort Clery, and managed a sort of drawbridge, excavating the hitherto solid entrance to the depth of the ditch. All this, including wood for bridge and chains to draw up, involved an expenditure of five pounds, signature for which I request your authority of payment.
5. The laager here is now fully occupied, all the farmers having come in. I count amongst them 28 fighting men, armed with nine Winchesters,four breech-loaders of other pattern, and the rest muzzle-loaders, double barrels, all with adequate ammunition. They are very willing in doing patrol duty, and give me great assistance.
6. Seventy-eight (78) natives -of the tame description have enrolled themselves to join here I have placed them under command of Nkosana, and appointed their kraal to be above Mr. Filter's house, under the hill. They do also, cheerfully, duty as scouts and sentries all round, and cost nothing whatever neither pay nor rations. In case of attack, they will form a welcome addition, to my rather small force.
A supply of about 50 stand of arms with ammunition to be .kept exclusively in the fort for use to repel an attack would be extremely useful in order to arm such defenders as I may be able to draw to the fort in cases of emergency.
8. Colonel Rowland, V.C.,C.B., accompanied by Captains Harvey and Sherrard, and Commissary--General Phillips, paid a visit to Luneberg on the 20th, and returned to Derby on the 21st. I understood that Colonel. Rowland, having received despatches from Head-quarters whilst here, authorising the formation of a column, No. 5 will move as soon as possible to occupy Meyer's Station, and then move on to Makatee's Kop. I expect his advanced guard in a few days

9. Yesterday's partial eclipse of the- sun (between 3 and 4 p.m.) is looked upon by the natives as a sign of Umbelini's power, who is reported to have particular powers over that luminary. If he should have happened to get a thorough good thrashing on that day (which he most certainly did get, if it be true that he was engaged by you), it will have a most demoralizing effect upon all Zulu warriors, who looked to Umbelini's victory as certain whenever he should meet our forces.
The garrison here is well and in full fighting spirit. I have only had occasion to punish one man (Geo. Gibbs) for insubordination and inciting others to mutiny. I nipped the thing in the bud, by ignominiously dismissing Geo. Gibbs on the spot, and drumming him out of camp. Drink was, as usual, the cause. I have, however, succeeded in getting rid of the pest of liquor, by promising 50 lashes to any man, black or white, who would bring drink into the fort or laager.
Wishing glorious success to your arms,
I. am,
Yours obediently,
SCHUMBRUCHBR,
Commander.Source:Northeast medals

CTSG
Your quite right, no mention of it at RD.
If as reported it occured at 2.39 ( its height), Chard was down at the Drift, Adendorf was virtually just arriving. The other fugitives were just arriving at the mission staion. So possibly a lot happening at that time to distract the folks. But its strange that there is no mention from the defenders.
Theres no question it did happen, but that NASA report is wierd.

Regards

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So possibly a lot happening at that time to distract the folks.

I’m not too sure they would have been too busy to notice Daylight turning to Darkness. I do believe the Day of the dead moon myth was started by the Zulu’s. Maybe there was just to much smoke from Rifle & Artillery fire, that led the Zulus to believe the sun was blotted out.

CTSG
Interesting theory.
However how has it become established that it peaked at 2.39, thats pretty specific. It was by all accounts only a partial eclipse so wouldnt have been darkness, just a dimming of the light. I have a gut feeling that it was mentioned by Noggs Newman, he was with Chelmsfords column. I need to do some research.

Regards

By Bertram Mitford.

The extract following narrative is that of a warrior of the Umbonambi regiment, who was present at the battle; I give it as nearly as possible in his own words :


"My regiment and the Umpunga formed the centre of the impi. When the soldiers in the donga saw that the Kandampemvu were getting behind them, they retreated upon the camp, firing at us all the time. As they retreated we followed them. I saw several white men on horseback galloping towards the " neck," which was the only point open; then the Nokenke and Nodwengu regiments, which had formed the right horn of the im'pi joined with the Ngobamakosi on the " neck." After that there was so much smoke that I could not see whether the white men had got through or not. The tumult and the firing was wonderful; every warrior shouted " Usiitu! " as he killed anyone, and the sun got very dark, like night, with the smoke. The English fought long and hard; there were so many of our people in front of me that I did not get into the thick of the fight until the end. The warriors called out that all the white men had been killed, and then we began to plunder the camp. The Undi and Udhloko regiments, which had been in reserve, then went on " kwa Jim "^ to take the post there. We found " tywala"^ in the camp, and some of our men got very drunk.
We were so hot and thirsty that we drank everything liquid we found, without waiting to see what it was. Some of them found some black stuff in bottles (probably ink); it did not look good, so they did not drink it; but one or two who drank some".

He is referring to an annular eclipse, which, it is not a little curious, should have taken place while the frightful conflict was at its height.

Chelmsfordthescapegoat wrote:

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One time we are sure of, and it makes a good anchor point, is the eclipse. That was at its height at 2:29.

Funny thing this eclipse. Its seems that it only occurred over the Battlefield and nowhere else. There are no reports from Rorkes Drift, and no reports from The Good Lord Chelmsford’s column. How can that be. Sorry not trying to hi-jack the topic just thought it was a valid point.

A very valid point CTSG and worth it's own thread. It does seem odd that we have nobody commenting on it from either side - the zulu witnesses remarking on the large amount of smoke - most likely from the tents being fired?

There is one comment from one of the officers sent to observe the camp from Chelmsford's column which I haven't been able to locate which says something to the effect that a black wave or cloud seemed to pass over the camp following which the tents could no longer be seen.

Which could have been the mass of warriors pouring into the tent area, or the eclipse - but again he dd not notice the eclipse locally. Seems like the eclipse wasn't noticed because everybody was too busy - so makes it kinda useless as an aid to fix the timeline.

Cheers

Aidan

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This graphic, provided by Dr. Andrew Sinclair, shows the grey penumbral shadow where the eclipse will be seen as a partial one and the much smaller red umbral shadow where the eclipse will be seen as an annular one. The UT time is shown in the upper right-hand corner of the diagram and the central line duration of the eclipse can be seen in the lower right-hand corner.

Littlehand
What is UT time?
Regards

Universal Time (UT) is a timescale based on the rotation of the Earth. It is a modern continuation of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), i.e., the mean solar time on the meridian of Greenwich, and GMT is sometimes used loosely as a synonym for UTC. In fact the expression "Universal Time" is ambiguous, as there are several versions of it, the most commonly used being UTC and UT1 (see below). All of these versions of UT are based on the rotation of the earth compared to distant celestial objects (stars and quasars), but with a scaling factor and other adjustments to make them closer to solar time.

I thought everyone knew that. :lol!:

I think Littlehand is showing that it has been proven that there was a partial Eclipse on the 22nd Jan 1879 at around 14:29. The little counter in the right-hand corner. Shows 14:29 oddhas the shadow passes over ZuluLand.

Mr G
Whasnt the international convention on global time based on Greenwich only agreed in 1884?

Some other observations
The Natal Almanac for 1879 ..............the greatest phase of the eclipse was at 2.29 Pietermaritzburg time.
From [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] The eclipse did happen but the event was annular, not total. The battle scene was south of the path of the annularity and looked about 75% of the Sun was covered. Not enough to make a difference in the light level.

Trooper Symons of the Natal Carabineers ( at Mangeni with Dartnell) I drew my mates attentions to the sounds (of battle) About this time an opressive gloom pervaded the whole atmosphere. This was due to an eclipse of the sun.
Regards

There is a nice little section on the eclipse on pages 77 & 78 of the "Companion to the Anglo - Zulu War" by Ian Knight. Too much to quote here but the salient points are that the event was "undoubtedly more significant to the Zulus" given their linking events in the sky with the attitude of their ancestral spirits; possibly the darkness seemed greater at iSandlwana because of the added ingredients of the smoke and dust of combat; and apparently, in addition to the Trooper Symons reference above, the eclipse was also noticed by Wood's troops skirmishing around Hlobane and Zungwini ( and therefore bad omens for Mbilini) and Theophilus Shepstone ( who lost his son George at iSandlwana) out walking with a companion near Utrecht.

It is an interesting point though why there is no mention of the eclipse at Rorke's Drift; or indeed, on the coastal sector considering other events that day. As for Rorke's Drift, my own view is that most accounts start at either the news of iSandlwana arriving at the drift - or the first Zulu attack - both of which would have been after the eclipse which, as a newsworthy event, would have been rendered largely insignificant by the more momentous events that followed and as such, lost in any future storytelling. Similarly, one can imagine that in the coastal sector, the main topic of conversation on the (continued) march to Eshowe would have been the fight at 'Nyezane earlier in the day rather than a partial eclipse that may, or may not, have been noticed - but I stand ready to be corrected if there are any such references.

U

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Not enough to make a difference in the light level.

Maybe that's the answer, with all the smoke ect maybe it was not noticed by the soldiers.

Extract By Bertram Mitford. Posted by John

"The English fought long and hard; there were so many of our people in front of me that I did not get into the thick of the fight until the end."

This particular Zulu who told this story may have seen it because he was on the outside of the fighting. Away from the smoke and other distractions.

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75% of the Sun was covered. Not enough to make a difference in the light level.

Well there you go. No wonder there were no eye-witness accounts (Apart from the odd Zulu) So there was an partial eclipse. And not the blacking out of the sun as told in the History Books.

Smith and Reynolds would surly have noticed this partial eclipse when they up on Shiyane looking towards Isandlwana. I deal observation point. (No mention)

hi all.
Thanks to umbiki here is a passage from Ian Knights - Companion to the Zulu War.......

' Curiously , according to H.W. Struben , Theophilus Shepstone also took the eclipse as a sign of impending doom.
' A strange thing happened at this time . I was walking with Sir Theophilus Shepstone outside Utrecht , discussing the
situation , when suddenly it became dark , and for a moment neither of us realised it was a total eclipse of the sun. When
we did he said ' Struben , this may have a strange effect on the Zulu's , who are superstitious . ' Next day we heard of the
disaster at Isandlwana and he said to some old Kaffirs , who came to hear the news . Umtwanami u fele , George ugwazile '.
' My child is dead , George is stabbed , ' and he was quite overcome .
cheers 90th.

I have been looking at this eclipse during the battle of Isandlwana. Considering a complete change from day light to darkness be it for a short period only, there really is very little information on this. I'm starting to doubt if this really did happen. It's odd that none of those that escaped mentions it. Not sure if anyone is interested in revisiting this topic.

Mr G
Sorry, far to much evidence to support the eclipse, from observers, commentators, local newspapers etc.
There wasnt a complete change of light, just a dimming, as it was a partial eclipse.

A done deal, as the saying goes.


regards

It was a 2/3 screening of the sun by the moon. It would have been no more noticeable than a cloud passing over the sun for a minute or so. Unless the fellows at RD or iSandlwana had been given prior warning of the eclipse and had been observing it by using a lens to project the image of the sun onto a screen, they could not have seen it.
A 2/3 (up to an 80%) eclipse is not the kind of thing one just happens to notice either. If one of the witnesses happened to have looked directly at the sun at the height of the eclipse, they would not have been able to discern the eclipse, as the sun would still have been bright enough to entirely dazzle the obsever.

Or smoke from the cannons and rifle fire. The eclipse would have had no impact on the Battle what so ever. However if the Zulus saw as a good omen it may have given them the courage to continue the fighting.

There are three Zulu references, and three non-native:

1. Mbonambi warrior, Mitford p. 28.
2. Nokhenke warrior, Mitford, p. 31.
3. Zulu boy in Ä Zulu Boy's Recollection, ed. by C. de B. Webb in Natalia No. 8, Dec. 1978, p. 19.
4. George Mansel, in a letter to Col. Edward Durnford, Wood Papers, Killie Campbell Africana Library, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal
5. Trooper Symonds diary, Symons Papers, Talana Museum, Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal.
6. Commandant Schermbrucker, letter to Col. E. Wood, in WO 33/34, p. 253.



Cheers

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Zulu boy in Ä Zulu Boy's Recollection

DB this is a fictional account.

Is it ?

I got the info from Keith Smith, he certainly doesn't deal with fiction.





Cheers

I was getting mixed up its this book.

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Keith does write some fiction.

Dave wrote:

Keith does write some fiction.

Thanks dave, does he write right fiction ?






Cheers

Dave. What fictional account as KS written. I don't know of any.

Hi Dave .
I'm certain Keith Smith has never written any ficticious work on the zulu war !. Happy for you to correct me . . If you know of some can you please post a link ? .
Cheers 90th.

I think Dave as mentioned this before. Back then he was referring to " Letters from Charlie" or something like that. But it was pointed out then in wasn't a work of fiction. Could be wrong.