 The origins of Wood Badge beads can be traced back to 1888 , when Baden @-@ Powell was on a military campaign in Zululand ( now part of South Africa ) . He pursued Dinuzulu , son of Cetshwayo , a Zulu king , for some time , but never managed to catch up with him . Dinuzulu was said to have had a 12 @-@ foot ( 4 m ) -long necklace with more than a thousand acacia beads . Baden @-@ Powell is claimed to have found the necklace when he came to Dinuzulu 's deserted mountain stronghold . Such necklaces were known as iziQu in Zulu and were presented to brave warrior leaders . Other sources suggest that what Baden @-@ Powell actually found were a Zulu girl 's marriage dowry beads . 
