John Robert Dunn (1834–1895) was a South African settler, hunter, and diplomat of Scottish descent who became a Zulu chief. Dunn was the son of a Scotchman who had settled at Port Elizabeth in Cape Colony. Being of an adventurous frame of mind he had come to Natal about 1850, had been made interpreter to the Governor of Durban, and somehow got mixed up in the Zulu civil war of 1856, when Cetewayo defeated his brother Umbulazi on the Tugela. Though Dunn had been on that occasion with the losing side, he seems later on to have become most friendly with Cetewayo, and with his brother Dabulamanzi, whom he taught to ride and shoot with a rifle.
The King gave him land near the Lower Tugela and wives, and he was now a chief over a tribe. He had warned Cetewayo against fighting us; but when at the beginning of 1879 he saw war was imminent, he went over with his tribe into Natal and remained neutral.
It was during Cetywayo's early contests with his brothers that Mr. John Dunn first came into notice as a partisan of one of the defeated candidates. He is a man of exceptional energy and force of character. Early in life he joined the Zulus, and soon made a name as a daring elephant hunter and successful trader. He joined one of Cetywayo's elder brothers, and in the battle which followed, Dunn's courage and conduct and the efficiency of his small contingent of musketeer hunters, so nearly neutralised the superior numbers and discipline of Cetywayo's partisans, that Cetywayo, as soon as he had secured victory and destroyed his more formidable rivals, invited Dunn back into Zululand, and granted him large privileges as a useful auxiliary. In particular Cetywayo sought Dunn's aid in supplying his chosen warriors with guns—first through Natal, and when that was declared to be contrary to the colonial laws, through the Portuguese port of Delagoa Bay. Dunn has always declared that he thus aided Cetywayo with the full knowledge and tacit approval of high English officials in Natal, who regarded the Zulus as a useful counterpoise to Boer aggressiveness. Once established in power as the recognised successor to his imbecile father, Cetywayo devoted all his energies to improving and strengthening his army. He restored to their full vigour the institutions and discipline of Chaka, and proclaimed his intention of reigning as a "Zulu of Zulus."
With use of his land, Zulu marriages and the loaning of cattle, Dunn built a network of clients and contacts along the Zululand coast that allowed him to exploit the regions wealth.
Though he was already married to Catherine Pierce - daughter of a white settler father and mother of Cape Malay ancestry - he accepted a total of 48 Zulu wives during his lifetime, much to Catherine's disapproval. Apart from two wives presented to him by Cetshwayo after a gift of two firearms, he followed Zulu custom and paid lobola of nine to fifteen cattle for each of the other forty six wives. The Zulu wives came from twenty-three different clans mostly from the southern and central coastal regions. All were married in the native custom, though some were baptised converting as Roman Catholics or Anglicans with all his children brought up as Christians and given some schooling.
Dunn's residences were constructed in the form of traditional Zulu kraals. His western style house stood at its centre, with separate beehive huts for his wives, soldiers, servants and Zulu visitors, cattle kraals, stables, and food storage pits, all surrounded by a hedge of thorns. He maintained kraals at Mangete, Emoyeni and Ngoya with wives at each place. He would banish several wives for breaching his household rules.
Originally published in 1886; may contain an occasional imperfection.
The King gave him land near the Lower Tugela and wives, and he was now a chief over a tribe. He had warned Cetewayo against fighting us; but when at the beginning of 1879 he saw war was imminent, he went over with his tribe into Natal and remained neutral.
It was during Cetywayo's early contests with his brothers that Mr. John Dunn first came into notice as a partisan of one of the defeated candidates. He is a man of exceptional energy and force of character. Early in life he joined the Zulus, and soon made a name as a daring elephant hunter and successful trader. He joined one of Cetywayo's elder brothers, and in the battle which followed, Dunn's courage and conduct and the efficiency of his small contingent of musketeer hunters, so nearly neutralised the superior numbers and discipline of Cetywayo's partisans, that Cetywayo, as soon as he had secured victory and destroyed his more formidable rivals, invited Dunn back into Zululand, and granted him large privileges as a useful auxiliary. In particular Cetywayo sought Dunn's aid in supplying his chosen warriors with guns—first through Natal, and when that was declared to be contrary to the colonial laws, through the Portuguese port of Delagoa Bay. Dunn has always declared that he thus aided Cetywayo with the full knowledge and tacit approval of high English officials in Natal, who regarded the Zulus as a useful counterpoise to Boer aggressiveness. Once established in power as the recognised successor to his imbecile father, Cetywayo devoted all his energies to improving and strengthening his army. He restored to their full vigour the institutions and discipline of Chaka, and proclaimed his intention of reigning as a "Zulu of Zulus."
With use of his land, Zulu marriages and the loaning of cattle, Dunn built a network of clients and contacts along the Zululand coast that allowed him to exploit the regions wealth.
Though he was already married to Catherine Pierce - daughter of a white settler father and mother of Cape Malay ancestry - he accepted a total of 48 Zulu wives during his lifetime, much to Catherine's disapproval. Apart from two wives presented to him by Cetshwayo after a gift of two firearms, he followed Zulu custom and paid lobola of nine to fifteen cattle for each of the other forty six wives. The Zulu wives came from twenty-three different clans mostly from the southern and central coastal regions. All were married in the native custom, though some were baptised converting as Roman Catholics or Anglicans with all his children brought up as Christians and given some schooling.
Dunn's residences were constructed in the form of traditional Zulu kraals. His western style house stood at its centre, with separate beehive huts for his wives, soldiers, servants and Zulu visitors, cattle kraals, stables, and food storage pits, all surrounded by a hedge of thorns. He maintained kraals at Mangete, Emoyeni and Ngoya with wives at each place. He would banish several wives for breaching his household rules.
Originally published in 1886; may contain an occasional imperfection.
