The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-12 00:00:00

is better authority than news from Havana. It is also "r
tain that the Spanish steamers and vessels of war have Lee
despatched with troops towards the scene of action.
After carefully comparing the various ileetotot,, I cannot
doubt that there is a rising of a portion of the inhabit: it'l
t
and that the danger is by no means over.

THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

ARRIVAL OF THE PROPONTIS.

PLYMOUTH,
The Propontis, General Screw Steam-ship Cron.
pany's vessel, Captain Glover, arrived here this morn-
ing at 20 minutes past 10. She left the Cape of Grssl
Hope on the 4th of July, arrived at Sierra Leone on
the 20th of July, and left the same day; arrived at
St. Vincents on the 26th, and sailed on the 28th of
July. She brings a general cargo.
Sir 11. Smith was on the frontier. He could not
do much for the want of efficient forces. The Kafiri
were kept at bay by the force under his command,
although they could not be reduced to subjection
without much greater strength being brought against
them. However, they were effectually prevented
from doing much harm. The feeling at the Cape
was that the war would be of long duration, unless
much more strength in the shape of troops was sent
from England. Sandilli was in his native moun-
tains. His favourite prophet has forsaken him and
joined another chief. Pato remained faithful to the
British cause.

The news from head-quarters brings intelligence
from King William's Town to the 121st of June.
Bodies of troops which had gone out for the purpose
of patrolling both banks of the Keiskamma, so as to
prevent, if possible, the rebel Hottentots from re-
tiring on the Amatola, or any reinforcement of
Kaffirs front moving into the colony to their aid, had
returned, after eight days' hard work in the bush,
without falling in with any large body of the enemy,
or capturing more than some two hundred of cattle.
The official details of these patrols are given below,
and show that everything that exertion could accom-
plish was done, furnishing another proof that tho
enemy will not encounter the troops in force, and, if
so, that the only way of subduing him, (save by the
tedious process of starvation,) is to have patrols con-
tinually out, so as to make the country in which he
finds shelter perfectly untenable. Our force has, it
would appear, been too large for mere patrol work,
and too small for a general or concentric movement ;
so that when our patrols have gone in on one side of
the Amatola, the enemy have gone out at the other.
The late addition of 1,000 British infantry will, we
doubt not, alter this state of affairs.

The Cape 'linen _Wail, of July 1, in its monthly
summary, says :

A review of the occurrences of the past month presents
few incidents of a cheering or satisfactory character. In the
latter part of May, the marauding bands of Kattirs in the
frontier districts became more numerous and bold than they
had before shown themselves at any time during the present
war. It was generally reported that the Kathr chiefs had
given orders to their people to enter the colonv, and subsist
in it by plunder during the winter, which had just com-
menced with unusual severity. This plan of hostilities has
been vigorously pursued by the enemy during the month,
with disastrous consequences to the eolonists, whose losses of
property have been heavier than in any previous month of
the war. Many valuable lives have also been lost, three
keldeornets and several other respectable inhabitants having
been killed in repelling the inroads of the plunderers.
Sir Kerry Smith has remained at King W 11142101 Town,
and has continued to send strung patrolling parties of troops
into the enemy's country. The Kaffir.; have thus been kept
on the alert, and have been prevented front entering the
colony en maws. A few of them have been killed, some of
their huts destroyed, and some hundreds of cattle captured.
It does not appear, however, that any injuries have been
inflicted upon them at all commensurate with those which
the colony has suffered from them. The rebel Hottentots
among them, however, are reported to be in a bad plight,
from want of provisions; and a few have come in and sur-
rendered themselves.

The Hottentot levies at King William's Town. chicdy
from the western district., were likely to return home at
the close of their term of enlistment, which expires on the
10th inst. Very few of theta had consented to reenlist.
Their general conduct is highly commended.
A party of frontier coluni.ts, proceeding with a train of
waggons from Cradock to Graham's Town, were attacked
by Kaffir', several of the waggons plundered, the oxen
carried otf, and one of the defenders, Mr. G. Byason, son
of the resident magistrate of Bathurst, was killed. Two
days before Mr. Whiting, another traveller, proceeding to
Craciock, was attacked in his waggon, and stabbed to death
with assegais.
The accounts from the north-eastern boundary represent
that part of the colony as hi u deplorable condition from the
ravages of the Tambookies.
.

At7the last accounts from bead-quarter (Juno 21) Sir li.
Smith was preparing for an important movement, mid to be a
patrol intended to continue for two or three weeks, and
(according to one report) to hi commanded by his Excel-
lency in person. It is even rumoured that Sir Harry en-
tertained the hope of being able 19 this movement to bring
the war to a close. Fears prevailed among the frontier
colonists that a peace would he " patched up" on suck con-
ditions as would result in a renewal of hostilities within a
few years,

General Somerset was engaged, during the latter part of
May, in sittempting to expel the KuMrs and rebel Hottea-
tots, who, under the chief Moonno, had taken possession
of the Kat River settlement. The Major-General's fume,
however, proved to be insufficiew to aceinnplish this object.
The enemy constantly withdew as he advanced, and re-
turned upon his traces whenever he retired to his encamp-
ment. Some shark skirmishing took place, but with no
important result.
The most unfortunate event which has occurred during
the month—and, next to the Kat River revolt, the most un-
fortunate occurrence in this war -has been the insur-
rection of the Hottentots of the Theopolis Mission Station,
in Lower Albany, near the sea-coast, and about 30 miles
south-east of Graham's Town. These Hottentots had been
previously joined by some deserters of the Cape Corps,
through whose counsel and assistance, it appears, the insur-
rection was concerted and earned into elect.At daybreak
on the morning of the 31st of May the Hottentots suddenly
fell upon several Fingoes who resided at their station, aud
murdered them. They then loaded their waggons with
their families and peals and mortal off towards the Bush-
man's River, sending, at the same time, to one of the Clare
chiefs to ask for assistance. Theopolis, it should be stated,
although considered a station of the Londou Missionary So-
ciety (and having been, in fact, the seat of one of its earliest
"institutions " iu South Africa), bad been for two;yeara with-
out a resident missionary, being only occasionally visited by
the missionary resident at Graham's Town. Ihe number
of persons at the station has of late years been about 300, of
whom about 70 were grown men. Many of the hat Riser
settlers originally emigrated from Theopolis, and an inti-
mate connection has consequently always existed between
the two places.
The news of this insurrection spread with great rapidity,
and caused the utmost excitement in Graham's Town, and
throughout the neighbouring country. Major-General
Somerset happened to he at the time in Graham's Town.
The 74th Regiment, which recently arrived in the colony,
had reached Graham's Town, on its way to Fort Hare, only
three days before. The Major-General at ones ordered about
300 men of that regiment to proceed towards Lower Albany,
in order to intercept the insergents—be himself 'preparing
to take the command of the force which was to surreand
and crush them. The Graham's Town Mounted Wingers,
however, pushed cm before the infantry, and. being paned
by some mounted burghers from Lower Albany and Uiten-
hage, made on attack ou a party of the rebels, about 100
strong. A desperate conflict ensued, but the rebels were at
length driven from the held into a neirhbourin; ravine,
leerier; their waggons and oxen, and seven of their number
killed . Of the colonial force, Field-Cornet Gray, an old
and much-respected settler, of Lower Albany, was killed;
Captain W. Stubbs, of the Graham's Town Rangers, and
Co' amandant Woest, of :he Citenhage Burghers, with
et veral others, were wounded.

This action took place on the 3rd ult. On the sth, early
in the morning, Major-General Somerset, having assembled
a force of about GOO men, proceeded to surround the strong.
hold in which the rebels had taken refuge. This was a
covert, inclosed by dense hush, in a bead of the Kareiga
River. The rebels were partially surrounded, but through
some unfortunate mistake or mismanagement they were
allowed to escape at an unguarded outlet. They fled, leav-
ing some waggons and shat 6110 cattle in the hands of the
troops. Immediately afterwards, in obedience to orders
from head-quarters, General Somerset and the 74th o gi-
ment proses.ded to Fort Hare. The rebels, after burning
the buildings at Theopolis retreated intolKaffireland.-
We learn that there is no doubt of the early establishment
of the line of mail steam packets from Holland to Batavia,
touching at the Cape. The agents in Cape Town are Messrs.
Anderson and Co.

The petition to her Majesty against the suggested removal
of the seat of government from Cape Town to Graham's
Town has received in this city and the vicinity about
4,000 signatures. It will be forwarded to England by the
Propontis.

The Graham's Town Journal of June 21 says:
The intelligence from head-quarters is to the 17th inst.,
but is not important, except so far as the report is ton-
firrnef: of the intention of the coloured. levies, whose term of
enrolment will expire by the middle of next month, to re-
turn home. Preparations were making fora combined
movement upon the Arnatola, the respective divisions to
march the beginning of the ensuing week. The account
before us ridicules the idea of the governor having made
overtures to Stock, Seyolo, or any other of the belligerent
chiefs. Two or three Kettles had come in from the tribes
engaged in the war, praying that they might be permitted
to " sit in peace with Siwani," and one of these had been
presented with a spade and sickle, as significant emblems of
the desire of the English that the Kaffirs should follow the
peaceful pursuits of tlilage, and not those of ruinous devas-
tating war. From the Kat River we learn that the Kaffir
and rebel Hottentots arc there in as great force as ever ; and
that the country is as dangerous, the kloofs being invested
with strong bodies of banditti as at any period of the war.
The moment Gen. Somerset retired from the Kat River the
enemy resumed his previous position in Van Beulen's Woof,