The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-11 00:00:00

IMPORTANT FROM THE CAPE.

THE KAFFIR WAR.
The screw steam ship Sir Robert Peel, Captain
Boxer, arrived at Plymouth yesterday morning at
about 8 o'clock, from the Cape of Good Hope, which
she left May 2, arriving at Sierra Leone May 19 and
sailing May 20, St. Vincent on May 26 and sailing
again the same day.
The Sir Robert Peel brought home several. pas-
sengers from the Cape and Sierra Leone, and a nuseel-
lancous cargo, including some more beautiful ani-
mals for the collection of- the Earl of Derby.
At Simon's Buy she left her Majesty s vessels
Castor, Hermes, and the Orestes. The Cygnet and
the Spy had sailed on the 20th of April with prizes.
The merchant barque Ann was at Simon's Bay
bound for London. At Sierra Leone the Sir Robert
Peel spoke to her Majesty's ships Dolphin and
Sampson
The Singapore reached the Cape three days before
the Sir Robert Peel—viz., on the 24th of April, and'
her troops were sent by the Dee steamer to head-
quarters at Graham's Town.
The most important item of intelligence by this
present mail is the fact that Krell, with the whole et
his tribe, had joined the enemy.
The following is the monthly summary of opera-
tions on the frontier given in the Cape Town Mas.
(It will be seen that it touches upon some of the
facts given in the advices lately received from the
Cope)
Our last summary reported the Commander-in.Chicf Se
bo on his return to King William's Town, from an coped!.
tion in person to Fort liare,—accompanied by Cu!. Mackin-
non and the second division,—which bad been undertaken
for the purpose of intercepting the Kadin moving on Feet
Hare. This t spedition consisted of a series of movements
from the 18th to the 29th of March, amongst which was
the repulse of tho enemy, about 2,000 strong, as tier
19th, and their flight into Amatola mountains, inentiened
in our lad summary.
To cow.' • the account of this --

o complete expedition, we resume
with the 21st of March, when the second division, com-
manded by Colonel Mackinnon, marched with his excel-
lency at daylight on Fort Cox, and tactic° to Fort White.
A detachment having been sent on to scatter some etre&
glees, the enemy showed in great force, and a general 110.
fragment commenced. In this affair the governor Slaw
ramie with much praise the conduct of the mounted levies.
who dismounted and gallantly attacked the Kaffir, on foot.
The enemy's flank WAS turned bean eminence being gained
by the 73rd and a detachment ot the 6th. Up to this point
37 Kaffir,' had fallen, and several stand of arms taken. Tho
euetny was pursued into the bush by the men forming Col.
Muckinnon's division, and were totally routed. The troops
reached Fort White two hours after dark.
A day's rest being required for the men, no movement
was made till the 23rd, when, at three o'clock in the morn-
ing, they moved towards Fort Wiltshire; 1,000 head of
cattle were captured on the banks of the Keiskamrna ; four
men killed and six wounded on our side. After devastatiog
the fertile country between Fort Wiltshire and Fort White
the troops returned to Fort White; the rearguard being
tired upon by the Kettles. The toss of the enemy on this
occasion was not known, but supposed to have been very
considerable. The men suffered severely from the beat of
the weather and want of water.

•
The column halted at Fort White on the 21th, in hopes Butterworth, and gone to the Amaponda coun-
that the Kadin would collect and attempt the rescue of try,—e movement which will doubtless have the
their cattle; but on the return march being effected to careful consideration of her Majesty's high commis-
King William's Town on the 25th, no oppoeition was ex- sinner, seeing that neither missionaries nor traders. have
perienced. Head-quarters were reached at two o'clock in followed his injurious example. Many of the Flagon
the afternoon. In general order issued the next day, the and others arc rallying at Morley ; and here, with a little
commander-in-chief compliments the officers and men on government support, and which they might have by sea, by
the persevering and admirable manner in which they had means of the Umtata river, it is thought that an effectual
performed the laborious duty of the patrol. stand might be made, and good service rendered against the
On the '26th, the court martial which had assembled at common enemy. It is further stated in the accounts be-
Fort Hare to tq• the Kat River rebels, was adjourned ; 16 fore us, that many of the rebel Hottentots were with Krell
out of the 66 had been tried ; the result was not made known. in this engagement, and behaved very cowardly, many et
On the 28th a patrol of 600 men, under the command of them running away, as the Kaffirs gay, to the colony. It
Major Wilmot, R.A., was marched into eleyolo's country, should be borne in mind, that Krell can bring into the
fur the purpose of devastating that portion which had not field from 8,000 to 7,000 fighting men,—one half of them
i been touched by previous patrols. During the day, the mounted, one-third armed with guns. But still we have
right flank, composed of the Albany levy, under Capt. no fear for the result, if every division of the colony will
Griffiths, and some Fingoes, under Lieut. Vice, was attacked only follow the example of Cradock. The inhabitants of
by above 300 Kaffir., but they were gallantly received, and that district have behaved nobly and have had a mast'
driven back with much slaughter. By skilful manceuvering, praiseworthy example set them by in civil commerical!". I
the enemy was surrounded and fled in much confusion, This gentleman has not only taken the field himself, bet
leaving tram thirty to fifty dead on the field. In this he has sent there two or three of his sons,—all of whines I
skirmish four of our men were wounded. The troops halted with their father, have distinguished themselves for their
for the night on the banks of the Keiskamma. The next activity in tho field, and gallantry in the premise*
day (the 29th) the column proceeded through Seyolo's of the enemy. We would say to every Weer
country, meeting with little or no opposition, destroying district, and to every other official : "Go thou and del
many kraals, and large quantities of Kaffir corn and mealier. likewise." The accounts received from beyond the Kye
On the 30th this column returned to King William's Town. the recent engagement under Captain Tylden menthe
On the 28th, two Hottentot girls from Sandilli's camp Major-General Somerset as having the command on that I
were apprehended at head quarters, and gave information, occasion, evidently supposing that his division was engaged;
leading to the arrest of a Kaffir commiesant mule-driver, whereas the only soldier in that action, as far as we are
named Jack, who, on examination, made some important informed, was Captain Tylden, the commandant of the N.B.
discoveries regarding the Hottentot rebellion, naming many boundary, whose arrangements seem to have been made
of the ring-leaders. with as good judgment as they were executed with great
It seems that he hail been in constanteomraunication with vigour. It may be mentioned also, to the honour of the
Sandilli, supplying him with ammunition. By his conies- parties, that the Dutch formed the greater number of the
sion, the commander-in-chief was enabled to arrest several burghers present, and that their steady gallantry is men-
of the Cape Mounted Rifle., who were disaffected, much to mentioned in terms of unqualified commendation, and shows
the amazement of the corps, that when Dutch and English work cordially together
On the 27th, Major General Somerset left Havre with against a common enemy, they are irresistible.
a force of about 1,200 men,—including among them a num. From King William's Town we learn that Major Wilmot
ber of the Kat River Hottentots, who had begged to be eta- was out in the Keiskamma with a patrol of 900 men.
ployud,—for Eland's Post, and to scour the Kat River dis- Shortly after hie departure, very heavy firing was, it is said,
trict. They halted at night near the old Chuatio post. heard in the direction of his line of march, leading to the
Shortly before dark an attack was made upon the advanced inference that he had fallen in with the enemy. At present
picqueta, which were immediately reinforced, and the con- no particulate of his Movement have come to hand.
test soon became general. The enemy made a desperate
turn the left
effort The following was published at Cape Town on the
to flank, who was met by detuhing •
company of the Fort Beaufort levy (Kat River Hottentota) day when the Sir Robert Peel left:—
under Capt. B. D. Bell, and a company of Capt. Heathcom's LATEST PROM THR PRONTIRIL
levy. The enemy was beaten at all pointy, and must have Monitor Office, Friday, May 2, 8 a.m.
met with considerable loss, as the traces of blood met with The Frontier post arrived in Cape Town, at 1 p.m. jester-
next morning were considerable. From the darkness of the day, bringing the latest intelligence from the scat of war.
night they wore enabled to remove their dead and wounded Our advice' from King William's Town are so late as the
unperceived. On the 28th, the enemy attempted to inter- 23rd, and from Graham's Town the 26th alt.
rapt the march, but was driven up the Kat Berg Mountain Communications from Butterworth had been received at
by the Fingoes and Kat River Hottentots. Although, from head-quarters on the evening of the 23rd, showing that the
the inefficiency of transport gear the column was detained Chief Kreili had committed himself with the war party,—
for four hour* on the face of the hill, the enemy did not and had been personally engaged in conflict. Another
again make his appearance. The rain prevented any move- patrol of eight hundred men had been ordered out, fur the
meat being made fur the next two days. purpose of following up the late successes against the enemy.
On the 31st, all the passes of the Eland's Berg wore The remaining remount horses from Cape Town had ar-
moured, and on the Ist, after seourMg the upper passes of rived safely, and were being distributed. The disarmed
so. ..mgrs anew ensued WWI% some eaattrrs and Cape Mounted tidies were being re-armed and equipped ;
Hottentots above Reid's dale ; they were completely routed I the corps would amount to 280 men, which Inds 160 of
and sought refuge in the Lidera& mountains. i Armstrong's horse, would enable the governor to dispatch a
Major General Somerset, in his report, mentions with strong force across tho Kei—against Kreili if necessary.
great praise the conduct of the Kat River Hottentots. I Toise continued to send awful information, and reported
On the 29th of March a great number of Kat River Hot- that Mr. Gilfillan's commando (Civil Commissioner, era-
tentots, rebels and deserters from the Cape Mounted corps, dock) had marched from Shiloh on the White Kei, and se-
who bad assembled at Butterworth, attacked and plundered verely handled Mapassa's Tambookies and some of Kreili's
Mears. Crouch's trading station at that place. This act people, and were proceeding to sweep off their cattle.
was committed with the connivance of Krell, who had sent j By reports from all quarters the Kaffirs wore becoming
massages to Pato and Umhala, bidding them join him in heartily tired of the war. They would not be allowed to '
making war on their colony; they both, however, declared rest in the low countries, and, being driven to the Amatola
for the British cause, the former moat unequivocally ands Mountains, they would experience much suffering from the
satisfactorily. Their determination has had its effect out cold.
Krell, who up to the date of last advice*, has mtde no new I Information had been received through one of Kreili'sgreat
aggressive movement. i,eouticillore, that the (Mikes cannot hold out much longer—
la Itobeing of the month a convoy of waggons, pro- , that 30 of their great men had fallen, and that they could not
eeeding Fort Hare, under the charge of Capt. W. Ayliff, count their inferior victims—that they are coming in—one
was attacked by a body of rebels, dressed in the uniform of man with four or five women, and two or three head of tho Cape Mounted Rifles. Captain Ayliff a hone being shot cattle, de. The Gaikas were in perpetual alarm, driving under hint. his men thought be was killed, and retired; but their chttle hither and thither, to the great injury of the-
having rallied, they speedily recaptured the cattle which ranch cattle and calves,
had been driven off by their assailants, and reached Fort I Unthala has sent in his son to King William's Town to Hare with the whole of their charge. t seek out intelligence. He was quite unprepared for the
On theBth instant &numerous patrol, commanded by Col. news of the further patrol against Beyolo.
Mackinnoo, lett King William's Town for the purpose of Pato remained steady, and was in high .
searching foe the enemy and his cattle. The force was di- sinned, it is said, by the punishment inflicted on Stts,
ook
s
vided into two columns, ander Col. Mackinnon, and Lieut.- . Peyote., ire.
Col. Erie respectively, and searched the plains and *racks I A correspondent, whom infansation has hitherto
of the Buffalo, and ascended the mountains of Murray's to be well fealties', states thee Ina had received
Krantz and the Quilly Quilly. The troops returned two days , that Kreili bad endeavoweed in
afterwards to King William's Town, having met with no , other femme at the Luivemi► enihrreenit=.l
cattle end no serious opposition. with eameldseelde hes, heelernemwerip sem* with lit
On the lath an attack was made, by Rahn and Hotten- Onus life. He keg r equate she “gsre,o, gum.. and b‘,l
ton, on Fort Brown. Firing was kept up for about twos called on the 71•19.1 In his country to join hint;-.but
hours on either side. The enemy carried off all the cattle, I without eihM,
amounting to 200 head. On the intelligence reaching Stock (Enno's tribe) and Beyolo still maintained them;
Graham's 'Town, a patrol was ordered out, which followed I 'elves in the ravines of the Keiskamma. Their eng en-
the spoor of the cattle for some distance ; bat, up to the abled to hold out is attributed to their having received re
present, none have been recaptured. It is said that the inforcements of many fresh men from Fandisi, and other
settle team on the mono. of the attack were lost through ' branches of Umbels's people.