The Zulu War

The Heliograph at the Tugela River

- 1879 -

Up to their arrival in Zululand, C Troop had used the Heliostat as one of their visual instruments. They were now issued with four heliographs which had been manufactured by the Bengal Sappers and Miners in their workshops at Roorkee. These were found to be excellent and to give a much steadier signal. The Heliostat used a fixed mirror which reflected a steady beam to the distant station. The beam was interrupted by a shutter, making morse signals possible. The heliograph had an oscillating mirror which, when operated, reflected the elements of the morse signal to the distant station.

Part of the force became beleaguered in Fort Ekowe, the ground between them and the Tugela River being entirely in Zulu hands. At Tugela, Lieutenant Haynes RE, in spite of the pessimistic discouragement of his seniors, spent a week heliographing in the direction of Fort Ekowe before he received an answer. At the other end, Major Wynne RE had noticed the signal almost immediately, but found that shaving mirrors would not serve. He spent the week constructing a large screen which pivoted from the horizontal to the vertical, the space of time of the vertical appearances producing the elements of the morse code. Traffic passed, but Major Wynne was exhausted and became fatally ill that same day.

As a result of the Telegraph Troop's persistence, communications with the beleaguered force were established and a relief operation mounted which saved the garrison.

You can buy a print of 'Tugela River' from the Museum Shop