The Express.
London, England, 1847-03-27 00:00:00

COLONIAL.

CAPE OF GOAD HOPE.--By the Cressy, arrived
in the Channel, we have papers from Cape Town to the 22d
of January. The governor arrived in Simoe's Bay, from the
frontier, on the 19th, accompanied by Colonels Cloete and
Slade, Capt. Maitland, and the Rev. B. Maitland. The go.
yernment Gazette of the 21st contains a proclamation, dated
Graham's Town, Jan. 13, declaring that whereas the mea-
sures taken to suppress armed resistance to her Majesty's
forces had been " crowned with such a measure of success
as to promise a speedy termination to all military opera-
tioll3," martial law should, from and after the promulgation,
" wholly cease to be in force in any part or portion of this
colony." Government notices of the 20th intimated the
appointment of Lieut. D. Davies, 90th Regiment, to be
superintendent of native police in British Kaffirland; and
John Maclean, Esq.. to be commissioner for the tribes in
Lower British Kaffirland. Notice had been given, towards
the cloth of December, that tenders would be received till
the Ist February, for contracts, to begin on the lot March,
1847, and end 31st December, 1848, to convey mails—from
Graham's Town to Somerset in 14 hours, and back in the
same time ; from Graham's Town to Bathurst in 41 hours,
and hack in the same time ; from Graham's Town to Fort
Beaufort, rid Fort Brown and Keenan% in 8 hours, aid back
in the same time. •
A government notice in the same number of the Gazette
contains the details of the expedition into Creili's country,
to exact satisfaction from that chief for his treacherous con-
duct towards the colony, to reduce the ['Shamble tribe of
Pato and Cobus Congo; and to afford an opportunity to
such of the Butterworth lingoes as desired at, to retire
from the eastward of the Kei and place themselves under
British protection. The forces rendezvoused at Warden's
Drift on the Kei on the 27th of December. On the 30th
they were formed into three divisions. Lieut.-Colonel
Vander Meulen, with 600 men, occupied a position near
Warden's Drift, with the seeming intention to cress the
river by that ford; Captain Napier, C.M.R., with 600 men
descended the Kea, and crossed at at a ford nine miles lower
down at daybreak; the remainder of the troops under
Colonel Somerset, proceeded to the sea-coast, leaving a party
to watch an intermediate ford. Colonel Somerset advanced
eastward along the coast, as far as the Coega fords, which he
reached on the 3rd of January. At day break of that day, he
had an affair at the mouth of the Nanga river, in which be
captured a drove of cattle and frustrsted an attempt of the
enemy to pass to the rear. On the 4th, he moved along the
heights towards the head of the Coega river, where he saw
several parties of Kaffirs, mounted and on foot, driving their
cattle into the deep sallies of the Coega, in full retreat to the
Bashee country. About 1,500 bead of cattle and some horses
were captured, but owing to the difficulty of the country and
the dense fogs the Kaffirs escaped. Col. Somerset returned
to Butterworth camp, on she left bank of the Kei, on tha
evening of the 6th, with 2,000 cattle. In the meantime,
Captain Napier was scouring the country round Butterworth
capturing cattle, and in one engagement killing seventeen
Kaffirs with the loss of one of the Cape Rifles. On the Bth.
Col. Somerset was again in motion wail his whole force. On
the 10th. he reported as the result of these movements, that
the whole country west of the Kei had been cleared of hostile
tribes, and that 10,000 cattle had been captured. On the
11th, he intimated that he had learned from two prisoners
that on the previous night Creili sent messages to the chief
Bookee to assemble forces and assist in seizing Pato, whom
it was his intention to deliver up to the government, con-
sidering_ hint the only bar to the conclusion of hostilities.
Sir P. Maitland had arrived at Cape Town.