The Express.
London, England, 1848-01-25 00:00:00

DEFEAT OF THE KAFFIRS.

WEDNESDAT, NOV. 17.—Information has rushed town
from Kaffirland of the death be the Kars of five British
officers, namely—Capt. W. L. .Y. Baker, Lieut. Faunt, and
Ensign Bernop, of the 73rd Regiment, Dr. N. S. Campbell,
surgeon of the corps, and Assistant-Surgeon Loch, of the
7th Dragoon Guards.
From the various accounts which have come in of this
distressing affair, we gather, in a connected form, the fol-
lowing details
It seems that the head quarter's camp is on the Kemp,
about ten miles W. of the Kye, Colonel Somerset, with a
strong force being in advance sod in position en the heights
commanding the Lye drift, at the usual wagon road. At
the distance of about seven miles from the general's camp
there is a conspicuous rock or mountain. The beauties of
the country, being much spoken of, the ill-fated officers
resolved to gratify their curiosity by visiting the spot. On
Saturday they started, taking no escort or attendants of
any kind, oath carrying a double-barrelled gun, more as a
precaution than from any apprehension of actual attack,
The party on starting were six in number, but being over-
taken by a shower of rein. Lieut. Littlehales, 73d Regt.,
labouring under severe cold, resolved, after riding about
five miles, to return. It seems that the only approach to
the mountain is along a narrow ridge, terminated by (setup
end narrow glen and thence through a valleyeasumbered
with reeks and bush ; and it would appear, as Seas the traces
can be sees, that these officers were permitted to gain the
summit of the mountain without molestation. At the same
time it is pretty evident that all their movements must have
been watched.
No apprehension was felt until Saturday evening, when,
not making their appearance, Lieut. Littlehales became
uneasy. At length about eight o'clock a party, consisting of
Captain Berkley, military secretary, Capta. Seymour and
Sourer-et, the general's aides-de-camp, and Capt. Bisset%
C.M.R., with ten of that corps, started off in quest of the
missing party. Traversing the ridge we have described
they shortly reached the brow of the declivity leading to the
narrow glen before mentioned, but into which at that hour
of the night, and with so small a force, it was not deemed
prudent to descend. After pausing therefore for a short
time, several rounds were fired an signals, but hearing no
response the party returned to camp, and on making report
a strong party was ordered to start soon after midnight
to renew the search. This force consistel of four com-
panies of the 73(1 Regt. accompanied by Lieut. Littlehales,
to point out the route which he in company with the others
had pursued on their way out. Shortly after daylight
the objects of their search were discovered—deed, stripped,
and savagely mutilated. From appearance it is conjectured
that the unfortunate deceased mutt have been attacked on
pasting the valley, but that, on endeavouring to eacepe, their
retreat through the narrow pars at the glen had been corn.
pletely cut off, and they became easy victims to overwhelm-
ing numbers. The spectacle presented was frightful. A
letter before us states " Mr. Burnop had three balls in his
head ; Capt. Baker was stabbed and mutilated in several
places; poor Dr. Campbell mutt have suffered greatly, the
flesh being actually pared from his body ; the naked body of
Lieut. Fount had been apparently flogged with chains—
their eyes had le en scooped out—their teeth extracted, and
the head of usistant-surgeon Loch had been severed from
the body and carried away. The latter, it is supposed was
dragged to some little distance from his companions, to a
smooth flat stone, and there beheaded. All were stripped,
and their remains left on the spots where they fell. The
dead bodies of two Kaffirs lay at no great distance, killed, as
is assumed, by these officere at the first moment of attack.
The poor fellows were buried on Sunday, in one grave, and
there was tot a dry eye present, from the general down-
wards." _ _ _

On Sunday morning Colonel Somerset rode over to the
general's camp, where he was in time to witneee the return
of the detachment with the remains of these unfortunate
officers,—and it was at once determined to scour the coun-
try around the scene of this awful tragedy. Orders were
immediately dispatched to Colonel Somerset's camp for
detachments, consisting of 130 Cape Mounted Riflemen,
ceder Captain Hare, 300 of Captain Hogg'e Levy, and 100
Boers, to move towards the scene of the massacre—an order
which was so promptly obeyed that the whole force reached
a point a few miles from the general's camp the same night.
Here they were joie.l by 200 of the 73rd ; a troop of 7th
Dragoon Guards, under Sir Harry Darrell—and some Kat
River Hottentots—the whole under the guidance of Lieut.
Bisect. The general, Sir Georg. Berkeley, with hie staff,
joined just hetore daylight. This farce was shortly after-
wards divided-100 men of the 73rd, under Major Pinckney,
and 100 Provisional', under Capt. Hogg, moving across
the right shoulder of the mountain, while 100 men of the
73rd, under Capt. ➢rown, with 150 of Hogg'', Levy, end
100 Kat River Levy ascended its left shoulder. In the
mean time Colonel Somerset, with the Boors, worked to the
extreme right, endeavouring to effect the passage of the river
below the bend, but which was found to be impracticable,
and he then returned to the top of the ride, while the
general ascended the face of the mountain, taking up his
position on the summit, so as to command • fine and
distinct view of all the operations below. From this ele-
vation many hundreds of cattle and Kaffir' were seen
—the latter having taken up a most favourable position
in a large bend of the river, forming • peninsula, only
accessible by a narrow rocky ridge, to reach which it was
necessary to clamber down some shelving rocks, so pre-
cipitous as to be quite impracticable for horsemen. At
this point it was seen that the enemy was determined to
make a stand ; on which the general ordered Lt. McDonald,
with a party of Cape Corp., to move rapidly down the
lace of the mountain, and, if possible, force the position.
This detachment was the first that reached the point, but
was soon joined by Caine. Hogg and Owen's Provisional.,,
followed by two companies of the 73rd, under Capt. Brown,
who came up in fine skirmishing order, and held the pass
while the Provisionels and Cape Corps were mowing the
peninsula and skirmishing with the enemy. The Kaffirs
showed great determination, but nothing could resist the
impetuosity of our troop., who rushed fearlessly over every
difficulty, and drove the enemy before them wherever seen.
The results of the engagement were 23 Kaffirs killed, and
at least double that number wounded, while the only
casualties on oar side, was one serjeant of the Provisional.,
killed, and one troop horse. Upwards of 300 head of
cattle, and several guns, were captured from the Kaffir.,
also two of the horses belougin7 to the deceased officers.
Colonel Somerset was to attempt the passage of the Kye
on the 18th.

Great preparations were making at Cape Town for
the reception of the new governor, Sir Harry Smith,
whose arrival was daily expected. The houses of
the inhabitants were to be generally illuminated,
and every mark of respect would be paid to this
distinguished hero upon his assuming the reins of
government.
(From the Zuid Africaan of Nov. 22.)
The following address has been placed for signature in the
Commercial Exchange, and will be pnsented to Sir Harry
Smith after he shall have been sworn into office

To his Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Smith,
Bart., G.C.8., Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, &c.
We, the undersigned, merchants and other inhabitants of
Cape Town, seise the earliest opportunity of presenting to
you, sir, our hearty congratulation on the safe return of
yourself and your excellent lady to this colony, where your
past services, and her ladyship's kind attention, have been,
and ever will be, remembered with gratitude and affection.
It is a source at pride and gratification to the °sionista to
possess the high privilege of having the hero of Aliwal for
their governor, and to enjoy the advantage of Sir Harry
Smith's talents, promptitude, and experience in the manage-
ment of their border policy, on the retirement of the dia.
tioguished and indefatigable officer whom he has been ap-
pointed to succeed.
Although, sir, you will find our barbarous neighbours a
more formidable enemy than when you taught them at once
to fear and respect you, yet we confidently rely upon the
abilities of y our head and heart for enabling you eventually
to combine the permsoent peace and safety of the frontier
with the progrcv.ive moral and social improvement of the
native tribes of Southern Africa.
" ' •

We hail your return amongst us u the harbinger of better
days, and we fervently pray that your excellency and Lady
Smith may live many happy years, and enjoy richly the
favour of a merciful God, the well-earned rewards of your
country, and the esteem and affection of the people of the
Cape of Good Hope.
Her Majesty's troop-ship Apollo, Commander Rad-
cliffe, which left Portsmouth on Sept. 8, for the Mau-
ritius, with the second batalion of the sth Fusiliers on
board, arrived in Simon's Bay on the 16th Nov. And
on the 20th of the same month, the Elizabeth Ainslie,
barque, T. C. Cahn, from Calcutta to London, put into
the bay in consequence of the majority of the crew
having refused to work the ship any longer.

THE NORWICH FESTITAL.—This great triennial
music meeting u to take place in the month of September
next. The conductor and leader (as at the festival of 1845),
are to be M. Benedict and Mr. T. Cooke. Among the pieces
to be performed are Handel's " Israel in Egypt," and
Mendebsohn's " Elijah." Nothing new is expected. Spoke,
the only pens living who has shown himself equal to the
composition of a great Oratorio, has produced no work of
this clan since " The Fall of Babylon," which was written
expressly for Norwich.
TEMPOP.ART SUSPENSION MAIZE BETWEEN
Hiram AND Nzw Yottx,—The Postmmater-General has
issued the following notice: "Information has been re-
nand from the Director-General of the French Post-office,
that it has been found necessary temporarilto suspend the
padres service recently established between Hans and New
York. No letters, &c., will therefore be transmitted from
this country for despatek by this line of pickets until further
notice."