ISilo uDingane safunda ukubhala
Njengoba uGardiner “wayeseyinkosi yoMzulu”, waba owokuqala ukubiza umhlangano wabelungu kuphela eSibubulungu kodwa kwafika ondlebe zikhanyilanga ababeyisikhombisa kuphela. Bonke ababekhona wabasikela iziza ngamunye phakathi kwemingcele yedolobha laseSibubulungu kodwa akekho namunye owengabadi owanikwa isiza kwababehlala lapho. Ababenemali, wabathengisela lezi ziza ezabe ziphakathi kwamasenti ayeyisithupha nesikhombisa, kodwa ababehlwempu, wabapha mahhala. UGardiner wase enza isaziso sokuthi izindlu ezazinguhlobo lwaseYurophu kuphela ezazivunyelwe ngaphakathi kwemingcele yedolobha ngoba noma yisiphi isakhiwo esasicishe sifane nesakhiwo samaZulu njengamaqhugwana zazizodilizwa.
Izifikanamthwalo zasithokozela lesi senzo, base beqamba iSibubulungu ngoNdunankulu waseKapa uSir Benjamin D’Urban (Durban) owayedume ngonya nesihluku. Wake wathumba yonke impahla yabengabadi wase ebadudulela phesheya komfula iNciba (Kei) bengenalutho, lapho iningi labo laphangalala libulawa yindlala. Kwathi lapho uGardiner eseneme ngomsebenzi wakhe, ebona nokuthuthuka kwedolobha wabuyela eNgilandi eyobutha amanye amaMishinali. Esehambile abafundisi baseMelika abefundisi u-Aldrin Grout, uGeorge Champion kanye noDkt Newton Adams bafika bentweza ngomkhumbi iDove bavula iMishini eMlaza (eMlazi) mhla ziyi-12 kuNhlolanja we-1836. Abafundi babo bokuqala kwakuyizingane zamaZulu ezaziyi-12 kanye nebhoxongwane elilodwa lomlungu uWilliam Wood. Babefundela ngaphansi kwesihlahla, bafunda ukubhala ukulandelana kwezinhlamvu zamagama esihlabathini. Kodwa uWood owayeneminyaka eyi-14 wayengadalelwanga isikole, wasishiya.
AmaMelika asevula enye imishini abayibiza ngeNginani eyayisosebeni lomfula uMsunduzi, cishe yayingamakhilomitha angama-20 phesheya koThukela nangama-20 ukuya phakathi nezwe eduze nalapho osekuyisiteshi sesitimela saseMandeni.
UMfu Champion washumayela okokuqala kudlanzana ababecabanga ukusindiswa mhla zingama-26 kuMandulo ngowe-1836. UMfu u-Aldrin Grout nomkakhe uCharlotte basungula imishini eduze nakwaDukuza abayibiza ngeGroutville. Bavula nesigayo sikashukela iMvoti Sugar Mill manje esibizwa ngeMelville. UMfu Grout wayengenavalo lokuhlala phakathi kwamaZulu ngoba phela babengebodwa ababekhelene namaZulu.
Kwakukhona noWilliam Landman nomkakhe uMaria, owayeyindodakazi kaPiet Retief. AbakwaLandman babengamaBhunu okuqala ukuhlala lapho kungena khona uMvoti ngowe-1836. Kwathi sekudlule izinyanga ezine kuvulwe isikole samamishinali iNginani, uNdlela wayiphaka ngamabutho amane kukhona neNdumezulu okwakuyibutho elalilwa ngezikhali zabamhlophe.
Lalinezikhonzi zakwaZulu zabelungu ezazingama-30 namaZulu ayehlala eSibubulungu ayengama-40 begasele eSwazini. Ngemuva kwale mpi uDingane waphoqa wonke amaphisi amahlophe ukuba akhokhe ngezibhamu uma behweba ngamazinyo endlovu nokunye okwakuligugu kwaZulu.
UDingane wathenga izikhali zesimanje eziningi kangangokuthi waze wakha indlu yazo koMkhulu eyayiqashwe nguJan Bouwer okwakuyindoda yomuThwa. Wayengumqeqeshi wokudubula wamabutho kanti futhi ezilungisa. UWilliam owashiya isikole eyozingela wagcina esehlala eMgungundlovu lapho naye wafunda ukudubula namabutho.
UGardiner wabuya eNgilandi ngomkhumbi iPalmyra ehamba nomMishinali wangempela uMfundisi uFrancis Owen, umkakhe, udadewabo ka-Owen nesisebenzi esasivela eWales, uJane Williams. Bavula iMishini abayibiza ngokuthi iHambanathi cishe eyayingamakhilomitha ayengama-40 enhla koThongathi (Tongaat).
Abafundi bokuqala baka-Owen kwabe kungebona abantwana kuphela, kodwa noDingane waba yiSilo sokuqala esakwazi ukubhala nokufunda.