The Express.
London, England, 1851-09-16 00:00:00

TILE KAFFIR WAR.

We have the pleasure to publish the Molting
extracts of a private letter from a distinguished fellow-
countryman, serving in one of the regiments now actively
engaged in the Kaffir war:
Fort Co:, July 19.
" Item we are, dull and stupid enough—cut off from com-
munication, except at long intervals, with the other posts,
and 'indite to stir morn than a few hundred yards from
this post, for the whole country is full of Kaffir', constantly
prowling about in the bush, and who would not showthem-
selves to any armed party, but would pounce upon any
one straying, and ' bowl him out in no time.' Our garri-
. _

son being now so reduced we have not sufficient fore° to
undertake any offensive operations, which is particularly
_ . .

disgusting ; but I am in hopes that we shall be again rein-
forced, and take our share of what is going on. After all,
we hare but 310 of this regiment on the frontier, the re-
mainder being at Natal and Blocinfontain.
0 As for the war, it is Ivry bard to say bow long it may
last. One thing is certain, that it cannot be brought to any

creditable or cfLutual end without more forces from Eng-
land, which, for the sake of the colony, I hope are now on
.

•
their way out. At present we certainly bully the Kahle a
red ele.ll wherever our patrols act ; but, after nil, it is Ima
Shifting the scene of operations, for the country be
very extensive, with many mountain ranges and much
end jungle, while the troops are acting in one quarter,
other ravages are in another playing the mischief. We
mu-t bass more troops. The gri Ater part of the Hot-
teutet levies,' who are raised tram the colony at a
distance from the frontier, and were therefore not disaf-
fected like those more in contact with the K• 88•—•
flthouzh I would not place much reliance now ow an
of thein—having served the six months fur which they
were raised, have not renewed their engagemeuts, but
bare returned to their friends ; and it is a question
if they will again serve, even after they have
been a short time at their hones. This reduces the
forces at Sir Harry Smith's disposal very much, and is
the immediate rause of the diminishing of our force here,
for we hail WO of them (the Hottentots), who were avail-
able in field and garrisen duty. These were taken away
the last provision patrol on the 241 inst., and our red coats
have also been reduced by detachments.
" I wish very much that the war was over, or that it was
going on briskly, and that we were at it sharp. I hare just
aid enough' of it to make ms wish, as it is going on, to see
more. 1 have been quite phased to see the men so steady
as they ans. under fire, which I have hail the opportunity of
seeing row or tine times on patrol; for although the Kadin
are but bad shots (the liottentots shoot well), still their
bullets rattle sharply about, and whcn they are seen
striking the ground, &c., close beside one, one cannot be
rare that some will not at any moment tell ; but every
bullet has its billet.' We had a smart sort of affair on
last Sunday fortnight with a large body of Betties in a
generally very bushy country. We were on our return
to Fort Cus, having left it two hours before daylight on pa-
trol, when in descending a high mountain, we saw many
Baffin coming rapidly on to attack us across the low cone •
try, while others were moving so ns, before us, to occupy
and interee pt our passage of a "drift" of the Keiskanima
river, which it was necessary for us to lass—this drift being
extensively surrounded on both sides with jungle, bush, and
rocks ; others likewise moved along the ridges to engage us
as we di seendeil. But, not to go too much into detail et
what was, alter all, but a small affair, I will only say that
we were sdon exchanging shots with them briskly, and
were engaged with them the whole way home nearly—al-
most three hours. Near the drift we hail three men
wounded, and these were our only casualties (July 18), and
I cannot at all understand how it was (on this as well as on
other meadow.) there were not more men hit, when I con-
sider the number of bullets that were whistling in every
direction—rood management and proper military precau-
tions, of course, being misty to many—still there ought (!)
to have been more casualties. (Our iif the men who were
wound d at the time I allude to died this morning—July
18.) This attack upon us, as we have since heard, was led
on by " Einlanjeni, and I must say that the Bellies ad-
vanced with great spirit, nod had their different combinations
not been felled by arrangements on our part, for which
there was heresy settle:cut time, it might have been a vrry
serious bionic.. It appsars that there were about 1,000
Bathes entsgol, awl their activity, which is very great, and
their local knowledge of paths, passe., &c., in a manner
multiplies their number. 'they did not get oft as cheaply as
we did, for we killed several (seven were seen to fall near
the river alone), and wounded a good many ; indeed, I
wonder that the Kettles do not suffer more than they do, for
the' levies' expend a ridiculous quantity of ammunition.
They blare away indiscriminately, firing at random into
kloofs and jeugles through which we may be passing, if it
is known that there are Kadin in them. They do this
pretty much on the same principle that makes children who
Irish to frighten ghosts sing and snake a noise in dark rooms
sod passages! as they say themselves, " one de hooch woos
is mak, ' " to clear the bush," and it is quite impossible
to restrain therm; one consequence is, that they are at
times nut of aniutunition, or nearly so, when it is muck
required, and although these fellows ern almost all
of them s'n'ot hitter than most of our men, and
although the tempest of -bullets they let fiy in suspicious'
Viet, (when there arc Kalfirs known to be there) has un-
doubtedly the effect of keeping our black friends at arm's
length. The Bailin yet dread the tire of the troops more—
it iv more effective ; indeed the troops have been brought
much nines into actual contact and collision with the
Kaftirs this war than ever they have been before ; they
base been pushed into passes anti jungles, mountains and
kloofs, &e.' in a way they were not called upon to do in
any of the former wars ; and though loaded as they arc
with blanket, haversack, containing perhaps three days'
provisions, water calabash, together with the musket and
sixty rounds otammunition, they cannot cope with naked
Kotßrs in activity or experience of the country, or in the
endurance of heat ; still the Kaffir, say they do not like to
see the red coat.' getting really to fight—and indeed the men
work wonderfully well. It is curious that we have not lately
hail a single casualty in the dith, although on more than
one Oceanian the rear guard, the post of danger, has been
given to us in the worst places (when out with large ;laterite) ;
and when out with our own patrols of five hundred men we
even took more than our share of skirmishing, dtc. One of
the three men who were hit in our affair of the 29th ult.
died this morning ; all of them belonged to the 91st de-
tachment, which, with one of our ewa companies, covered
the passage of the river in extended order. Two days be-
fore, the nth, a fine regiment, hut not yet experienced in
the &Liget of this couutry, had four men in one company
lined and several wounded, chiefly, I am told (for they
were operating in another part of the mountains), from
being in too parade order and giving the Kahn too
good a mark to fire at. The combined operations in the
Amatula Mountains the last few days of last month were,
to a certain extent, successful, as you will see by the papers.
I fear that it is impossible that unless Sir Harry Smith suc-
ceeds in again raising levies, which it is very doubtful
whether he can do to any great extent, and if the war goes
en. and that we, being but the fragment of a regiment,
will be employed chiefly in the posts, and that other regi-
ments, on account of their strength, be employed in the
field, but if levies can be numerously raised, then u these
will be much employed in the post dillies, we may be in the
field more. All the authorities here think more highly of
no troops than of tho "old stubborn's," and with good
reason too, for we have a tip top we of seen for any duty ;
sad Sir Barry knows this, andlosailleemil se. By-the bye,
I may as well mention two insteasesatwey eeaoyteg hum-
bug on the part of the Kaffir,. Time haw Owe IR 44th
December last Colonel Mackinnon amid lbws Ithri Cos
to capture Sandilli, and that after hohadballed 01 lssslsst
he was attacked nd suffered twill kat. At a
stanan close to Fort Cox (Borth NMIs width the lathm
hew slaw beamed) there had been sums starts having
les heard he the direction Colonel Maims had taken,
the Rissiswary sent up word to dir Beim ad there was
some aseashwes felt ; but in the a =sthy *
man of semi seas, from that part of the ammley, ems la
to sec Sir Hwy, assally as it were, talked his ever with
some plausible am, and re-assured him owl departed,
having rowed • psment as I think). Mb very awe
bad been is the eitisk of the light, went etisewards to his
' kraal,' wished Wessell pus as some old me or other
which he had sessivel as • present, sod with
mincing ems i, lembugged every ewe, and
wailed off with sewed tee se thing ! But this was not
all, for early is Wakei eesr • Kafir, the bower ot a
devitelt from Oliewinesithwea to Sir Harry, ninth( the
disastese (lithe de7 ills who was
bra**l the 61,4* bed Molt takes sw alba psee
the attaek, wee seypilad Madam= sr •
a thief who seise Is we we whose he led ter
we night near a whin shilak si IMO ilibleein hems
the acne et the a usibewmi lOW Dui this poll, Nig,
vibe earn* with gasibeiser gesslildssibewl &r-
-elied the asetesage_ r, bed the bass pri iye who me at, awl tow-
wow Meddswea's essalbwis I Bat beekinsea's
web yews, he haw, we by this beslity next de", sad his
vidisd to pat Wei his tweril- Timm aW 1141 WA.
relive frets, sad well be ; end pm en that
the Kadin are as this. Oa the next
Neighbors made • debar la Fort (?)
liVlVtiltgal.Z2stw
and dash hos al the ismer of a "kW*
may idol et athwee), where eel 466,11.964 411 seia Wel a
few thane, MA bath els brie bellirrelle busload
UMW is theaseulag • and thus this liallithed "Paildrel.
be the &alb wesslcklisathibi hrulibilla la Mem the
Paw sull ell lit IL OW we with bb theseliewe
mewed Is Not Oee by the seas nub be hail Whew in
Mist, ad hb anima reod by Pad Mita mad Eke.
ley the read w Feet Ow. easeriell lig the Cape
01141•Lbereinedi INS Many Ihrtillghlk
that British Zeitiesen. when the bar
bell ths tow yeas, le • asowley awifiwirrikasi
Law sea alemodkg bush—ls woe
I=ll2
ial %Zit is ethos then am. with wok des
Mum Owl dem. GM dell el dither& Imes
ed dais; sod although Owe issy as' be la say
*as simlera a eminsi aviabst at ',day.%
wit le Ittare as swims trawiesew. lbw. la Oa
was thee et sibs. thew always owl*
nail earths 17 leo( la see
mini. Talswt
Yon why the amtanalestime through Or eigewhy we se
Boobs' et the 740, lei a arthey=Llw
threiscbahet gawmed Ids
maleskwdesiowillinbisg
my
the
is
sad it eld ben ths. /law
Rigby Wile has emellad. samballed Bows
mid owe of servants wise weds' Nas this Nth ell.
"el" that he killed two laths with ifs"--thilitithWo
ifitei Letter.

RAUL APPOIIIIIIIIIa.--AMMLALTT, Barr. 15.
"liamman : 8. W. cc 7. May, to ReeloP