Richard Philip "Dick" King (1813–1871) was an English trader and colonist at Port Natal, a British trading station in the region now known as KwaZulu-Natal. He is best known for a historic horseback ride in 1842, where he completed a journey of 960 kilometres (600 mi) in 10 days, to request help for the besieged British garrison at Port Natal (now the Old Fort, Durban).Dick King was born on 26 November 1811 in Dursley in the English county of Gloucestershire. He died on 10 November 1871 in Isipingo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. His family emigrated to the Albany district of the Cape Colony in 1820, as part of the settler program. In 1828 however his family resettled to the then frontier region of Port Natal, when Dick was about 15 years of age. His first employment was as a wagon driver for the pioneer traders. In reverend Francis Owen's company he met Zulu chief Dingane, and also got acquainted with captain Allen Gardiner. Wikipedia