Accordingly he massed his impis (army corps) at different points along the Transvaal border, where they awaited the signal to advance and sweep the country.
Kabana (name of messenger), you see myImpis (armies) are gathered.
It was evident that this was an important stronghold and rallying point for the Matabele impis in the field.
Ketshwayo, after years of arrogant and unquestioned rule, had loosed his straining impis at the people of the Great White Queen.
My men say that it is not usual for impis to visit this part of the country.
It was evident that the Zulu impis had destroyed a great number of the Boers whom they found unprepared for attack, and then had been driven off by reinforcements that arrived from other camps.
Before the news of the massacre could reach them, and while they were hourly expecting the return of Retief, Dingaan's impis swooped down upon them from Zululand.
Thus, even when the present military force has broken up the impis in the field, and cleared their strongholds out, there will remain a tale of work for local police to do in carrying out disarmament.
Five alliedimpis of Matabele were attacked and completely routed.
I found that reports had come in from the officer commanding Fig Tree Fort, saying that rebelimpis were on the move there.
Thus, when we arrived a week later, we found that the immediate neighbourhood of Buluwayo had been cleared of enemy, but the impis were still hanging about in the offing, and required to be further broken up.
The net result of our scouting to date is that we have got to know the nature of the country and the exact positions of the six different rebelimpis in it, and of their three refuges of women and cattle.
For three days (23rd-26th May) it was hammering at the various impis threatening Buluwayo on the north and east with complete success.
With his tiny force, he goes from point to point where impis are collected; in every case he strikes them hard, and promptly builds a fort there on the spot, and leaves a party in possession.
Umzava, over a tin of meat this evening, confirms our idea that there are five impis collected in the position within the hills near us.
From these we reconnoitred, passing through the enemy's scouts on the north bank of the Umzingwane, and marking the positions of the impis in the hills by their fires, tracks, etc.
As will be seen in the following chapters, the rebel impis and their women and cattle were all found, when the troops came to attack them later on, in the exact positions assigned to them in the sketch map issued.
In the meantime all the warriors that could be notified were to be rallied at Lebombo, so that the impis of the queen and Sebuza would be as large and imposing as possible.
His impis are countless, and just recently he has married Tzaneen, a princess of the Zulus.
Let us take our impis back to Lebombo, and to-morrow we will send to Labotsibeni and demand that she give up the throne.
Now Buno, guided and advised by his mother, Queen Labotisibeni, has kept the Swazi impis up to the greatest possible fighting strength, and he is the one savage chief we Boers have to reckon with.
My impis have lost faith in me for permitting you white men to do this thing.
The old rascal suggested that he make a demonstration with all his impis against our borders," my uncle reported.
In the olden days he was leader of one of Buno's crackimpis and was a noted warrior.
The impis came closer and stopped on either side of the stream.
I felt that Sebuza must be close at hand, and it was not more than fifteen minutes before both impis began to dance.
He has gathered his impis there and threatens to make war unless he is made king.
Piet Potgier's party was entirely wiped out, none surviving attacks made by the combined impisof the Zulus and Basutus.
The impis were drawn up in column facing the edge, with Buno and his indunas in front.
Shortly before noon I saw the impisof both Tzaneen and Sebuza forming in lines outside the kraals.
Sugden and Crespinell were watching the oncomingimpis and coolly comparing the sights on their rifles, trying to agree on the proper distance to set them.
Her Spirit, they knew, was mighty and could wander where it willed; all the impis of the Zulus could not hold her Sprint.
I go to summon them, though I think that the mighty Inkosazana, who can command all the Zulu impis and all the spirits of the dead, will need little help from us.
Shall I send out my impis and fall on them while they are unprepared, and make an end of them, as seems wisest, and is the wish of my indunas?
Well, it is time to go to learn whether or no the impiswill fight, for Zikali awaits us and the Council has started already.
When all had finished Cetewayo spoke, saying-- "That is a bad council which has two voices, for to which of them must the Captain listen when the impis of the foe gather in front of him?
Yes, generals have become like women; the captains of the impis are set to milk the cows.
I see a great battle; I see the white men go down like corn before a tempest; I see the spears of the impis redden; I see the white soldiers lie like leaves cut from a tree by frost.
Cetewayo nodded heavily, and answered-- "My impis were broken to pieces on the plain of Ulundi; the cowards ran from the bullets as children run from bees.
Zulu impis breaking on their foes like surf upon the rocks, and his heart rises up in rebellion against the strict limits of the civilized life.
These were taken prisoners and sent back to camp, as it was thought that Colonel Napier might be able to obtain some information from them regarding the whereabouts of any impis that might be about.
When they arrived and the impis came back to the scene of their flight, they found the dongas empty—the white men had gone.
Besides the impis to the north and west, there were others encamped within the edge of the Matopo Hills.
Why were the Impisof Dingaan rolled back at the Blood River?
These horrors are almost forgotten now; people living in Natal now, for instance, can scarcely realize that some forty years ago six hundred white people, many of them women and children, were thus massacred by the Impis of Dingaan.
Yes, many have heard the names: when the Impis roared them out as they charged in battle, I have felt the mountains shake and seen the waters quiver in their sound.
Were not Cetywayo's impis gathered against the land, and was it not because it became the Queen's land that at your word he sent them murmuring to their kraals?
In those days the vultures would follow our impis by thousands, the hyenas would steal along our path in packs, and none went empty away.
Then I would cause him to be advanced to be an induna, and a general ready to lead the impis of the king, for he who leads the impis is already half a king.
Now Galazi had heard tell of such impis that hunt by night, and he knew well that these were the king's dogs, and their game was men, a big kraal of sleeping men, otherwise there had been fewer dogs.
If the king sends his impis against you, then it will be time to fight, O fool with little wit!
Jan shook his head, but did not answer, for he knew too well what happens where the Zulu impis pass.
Better is it to travel in all honour with the impis of Sigwe than to be dragged back by Bull-Head to his secret kraal--I to be done to death there and you to the choice of which you know.
The Matabele impis continued for months in a state of excitement; and their forays made it far too dangerous for Rhodes or for others to go up there for some time.
The chief knew how difficult it might prove to hold in his impis when, instead of a solitary Selous, some hundreds of Europeans began to cross their hunting-grounds.
The Matabele impis would not forgo their old habit of raiding amongst the Mashonas.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "impis" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
