He returned to Rhodesia in time to take part in the second
Matabele rebellion. This was in 1896. By now Burnham was a
very prominent member of the "vortrekers" and pioneers at
Buluwayo, and Sir Frederick Carrington, who was in command of
the forces, attached him to his staff. This second outbreak was a
more serious uprising than the one of 1893, and as it was evident
the forces of the Chartered Company could not handle it, imperial
troops were sent to assist them. But with even their aid the war
dragged on until it threatened to last to the rainy season, when the
troops must have gone into winter quarters. Had they done so, the
cost of keeping them would have fallen on the Chartered
Company, already a sufferer in pocket from the ravages of the
rinderpest and the expenses of the investigation which followed
the Jameson raid.
Accordingly, Carrington looked about for some measure by which
he could bring the war to an immediate end.
It was suggested to him by a young Colonial, named Armstrong,
the Commissioner of the district, that this could be done by
destroying the "god," or high priest, Umlimo, who was the chief
inspiration of the rebellion.
This high priest had incited the rebels to a general massacre of
women and children, and had given them confidence by promising
to strike the white soldiers blind and to turn their bullets into
water.
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