properly prepared. Such circumstances during his early life are sometimes considered to have predisposed him to be fierce and decisive later in his rule. When Mswati ascended to the throne, his predecessor left him a country claimed to be reaching modern day Barberton in the north, Carolina in the west, Pongola River in the south and Lubombo Mountains in the east. Kingship After succeeding his father in 1850, King Mswati II commenced a career of large-scale raids and adventure. He selected, as his hunting ground, the prosperous tribal lands of the various groups to the north of Eswatini. He became rich and his crack regiments, such as the Nyatsi and the Malalane, brought terror to African homes as far afield as Zimbabwe and Mozambique. His crack regiments were used more importantly against emakhandzambili chiefs in Swazi territory and others outside Eswatini. The foothills of the Drakensberg, westwards from Malelane and Low's Creek to the Barberton mountain land, were occupied by Mbayi, also known as the Maseko people, who were held in subjection by, but were not incorporated with, the people of AbakaNgcamane Maseko . They were driven out of this area in 1852 by the Swazi regiments. They fled north and occupied the area between the Crocodile and Sabie Rivers. King Mswati 2nd also used his force to influence political events in the Gaza kingdom, east of the Lubombo mountains. He also defended his country against Zulu encroachment with great determination. Mswati built a line of military outposts from west to east along the 'Little Crocodile River' (Kaap River). At each outpost he stationed some of his regiments to watch and stop the Abapedi returning to their old haunts. The posts were Mbhuleni, on the upper Komati River, at the foot of the Mkingomo Mountains, south of Badplaas, where Ngcina Matsebula was the indvuna, and LaMgangeni Khumalo the Nkhosikati (chieftainess), and at Mekemeke, just east of the Mbayiyane mountains (Three Sisters), situated east of Mantibovu (Low's Creek), where Mekemeke Lanyandza III was the chieftainess and Mhlahlo Vilakati the indvuna. Mekemeke is situated high up on the eastern side of the Mbayiyane mountains, from where the drift in the Crocodile River near Malelane could be observed should the Mbayi return to the area. Mswati moved his administrative capital and military posts to Hhohho, on the northern bank of the Mlumati River and continued his attacks on the various tribes, which include