Maritime Adventures of the Anglo-Zulu War 1879

After the battle of Isandhlwana 1879 British reinforcements were urgently required in South Africa but there was as yet no cable communication between England and the Cape (this was established in 1880) by which news of the catastrophic defeat by the Zulus could be sent immediately to Britain.

One of Donald Currie's steamers, the Dunrobin Castle was about to leave Table Bay on her homeward run and her planned departure was put forward so that she sailed at 7.30 p.m., 27 January 1879, headed at full speed for St. Vincent, which was then the limit of the Western Telegraph. From there the news of Isandhlwana was cabled to London, its publication causing a sensation on 11 February.

This voyage of the Dunrobin was turned to good account by Currie, who subsequently instructed that another of the Castle steamers, the Conway Castle which was then outward bound, should also put in at St Vincent. By the time the vessel reached St Vincent, the military authorities had been informed and the Conway was able to pick up dispatches with the latest information about the many reinforcements about to leave for South Africa. This news being directly transmitted to the forces in Natal had a major impact on the course of the war. The garrison which was besieged at Eshowe was deterred from making the planned desperate attempt to break out and fight its way through the Zulu lines to the Tugela River. It was as a result of the services rendered by Donald Currie in connection with the war that the head of the Castle Line was later given a knighthood.

R.M.S. Dunrobin Castle

Currie's opposition, the Union Line, also played its part in the conflict. The Pretoria had returned to England after her first voyage when news of Isandhlwana reached London. The vessel was immediately taken into dry-dock, where alterations were carried out so that she could carry troops. A new propeller was fitted, and coal and stores taken on board - all in the remarkably short space of nine days. On 20 February she set out for Natal, carrying the 91st Highlanders (Princess Louise's Argyllshire Highlanders), and making the run in the record time of 24 days 8 hours. The landing of the Kilties is said to have given rise to a perception among the Zulus that the British were sending women to fight. 

R.M.S. Pretoria

Underlining the rivalry between the two great steamer companies, Captain WC Crutchley relates in his autobiography My Life at Sea (published London 1912) how the coaster African on which he was serving was in Table Bay at the crucial moment. Crutchley was at his club in Cape Town late one night in January 1879, when the rumour was received of a British defeat at Isandhlwana. The captain realised that troops then in Cape Town would be required post-haste at the front, and also knew that Currie steamers were in port and would, if given the chance, convey the necessary reinforcements to Natal. The Union Company offices were closed at that time of night, there was of course no telephone and it was impossible to contact any of the company's officials. Crutchley, undeterred, took it upon himself to go to Government House and the Castle, offering the services of his vessel in transporting troops. The African was made ready and troops embarked within hours for Port Natal. Arriving a few days later, the coaster landed the reinforcements and also her own 12-pounder, which was later used in the defence of the Pinetown laager outside Durban.

Passenger arrivals: the Arab Oct 1880

The Natal Witness Oct 16 1880 reports on the arrival at the Cape of Union R.M.S. Arab*

The "Times" on Basutoland
A Land-slip at Bengal.
Death of Grace, The Cricketer
(Per Webster's Agency)

Cape Town, Oct 15, 11.13 a.m.
The Arab arrived this morning.

The London Times considers the position in Basutoland very grave, and adds: - "It is of course morally impossible that were Cape forces unable to quell a serious rising we could tolerate the serious blow to our prestige of allowing any sort of victory to the Basutos, and were the war protracted and expensive a burden would be imposed on the English Treasury. No pressure that can properly be put upon the Cape Government in the cause of moderation will be deemed unduly strong."

A land-slip has occurred at Nainatal, Bengal, carrying away several houses, and killing and injuring a large number of Europeans.

Nothing important from Afghanistan, General Roberts is at Quetta.

Mr G.F. Grace, the cricketer, is dead.

PASSENGERS for Natal per Arab:
Messrs
Hall
Griffin
Crossley
Cottam
Beningfield
Jester
Driver
Moffat
Simpson
Dean
Leyland
Sink
Pratt
Wotherspoon (error for Witherspoon?)
Wotherspoon junior
Miles
Lloyd
Fitz-Harris
Bijdawell
Diehl
Samtam
Peck
Rossier
Nedley
Jurnan
Aitken
Mistresses
Griffin and family
Brierley
Beningfield
Driver
Moffat and family
Pratt
Bijdawell
Master Bijdawell
the Misses
Brierley
Pratt
Lloyd

Conway Castle expected to-morrow.
PASSENGERS for Natal:
Messrs
Sewell
Iken
Dilner
Glover
Colonel Winsloe
Messrs
Williamson
White
Wotherspoon
Laing
Kynock
Phillips
Alexander
Hackland
Wylie
Flett
Clark
Spence
Potts
King
Harlow
Fluckell
Price
Robinson
Lewis
Kensman
Campbell
Mistresses
Cerets
Broome
Flete
Clark
Robinson and family
Lewis and family
Kensman and family
the Misses
Leathern (2)
Risely
Yorke
Flower

*The Arab, built 1879 by J and G Thompson, Glasgow, 3192 t, had only three years in the mail service; in 1882 she became a troop carrier for campaign against Arabi Pasha; in 1885 after General Gordon's death she went on the expedition to Suakin, and became HQ ship for the Naval Transport Staff. At the conclusion of the Sudanese War, the Arab returned to Sydney Australia troops of the volunteer expeditionary force. In December 1891 she inaugurated the Union Company's service from the Cape to Mauritius, continuing to run as an intermediate steamer until the end of the century. Early in 1900 she went to the shipbreakers.

Death at Sea: Tragedy on the Conway Castle 1880

This was the headline in the Natal Witness of January 8 1880 and the original report follows:

A tragic event occurred on the Conway Castle during her voyage out this last time, particulars of which have been furnished us (Advertiser) by a gentleman who arrived here on Melrose and was a witness of the whole affair. It appears that a man named Robert Ross took a steerage passage in this steamer and came out to work for a firm in Durban. He had not been long at sea, in fact was in the Bay of Biscay, when he expressed himself dissatisfied with the arrangements below, and told some to whom he was known that he should sleep upon the deck. This was on Sunday night before reaching Madeira and the next morning (Monday) at 7.30, there was a cry of 'man overboard', and it was found that Ross had disappeared in the sea. The boatswain states that Ross leaped overboard, but there were many who had their doubts of this. Anyway, the ship was stopped for half an hour and Mr Brown, the first officer, in a very smart manner, got a boat lowered and went down himself in charge. The search proved unsuccessful and the boat was hauled up, when, just as the vessel was under weigh, they passed the body floating face upward in the water. The captain was on the bridge, but said it was no use stopping, the man's head was knocked in and he was dead, and the vessel proceeded on her voyage. Our informant asks the rather pertinent questions: How could Captain Jones  know this? And would it not have been more satisfactory to make himself and all on board assured of the fact? For our own part, having known Captain Jones when on the Florence, we cannot believe him capable of doing anything that lacks of courtesy and consideration for the feelings of others, but at the same time are fully convinced of the correctness of our informant's story. Ross leaves a wife and family at home to mourn his untimely end. The passengers on board got up a subscription for them. 

The story illustrates the fact that even by 1880, there was a chance that those leaving England for South Africa may well have said a last farewell to their home and loved ones and that the great adventure held as many hazards as did the days of sail.

It's also useful as a practical example of how to find maritime events: the precise death date of the unfortunate Robert Ross is given on www.FamilySearch.org under the collection 'United Kingdom, Maritime Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1787-1933':  Robert Ross, death, 1 Dec 1879, vessel Conway Castle. The Conway Castle reached Natal by 8 January 1880 but the death at sea occurred about a month before while the ship was in the Bay of Biscay, as reported in the Natal Witness. From the FamilySearch site there's a facility to follow up the information on www.findmypast.com and, for a fee or through subscription to the latter site, to obtain an image of the register page giving further details.




Conway Castle (2,966 tons) built in Glasgow in 1878, was a regular mail steamer until 1883, during which period the above tragedy occurred, and was later transferred to the intermediate service when the Roslin Castle, Norham Castle and Hawarden Castle joined the Line. She underwent considerable improvements in 1892, fitted with triple-expansion engines, her funnel lengthened and with iron bulwarks replacing the open deck rails. The passenger accommodation was upgraded too, with refrigerating machinery and electric light being installed. Not long afterwards, on the Mauritius route, she ran ashore on May 10th 1893 50 miles south of Tamatave while on a voyage to Durban. Her passengers were ashore for 10 days until the Union liner Arab conveyed them to South Africa. But it was the end of the Conway, which could not be brought off the rocks and finally broke up.