The Express.
London, England, 1851-09-11 00:00:00

THE KAFFIR WAR.

(From the Cape Tors Mad of July 29.)

The intelligence received by the last post from the
Orange River Sovereignty is of a startling tenor. The in-
terference of the British Resident in the quarrels among
the native tribes has led to a collision in which the British
force was worsted, with severe loss to the native contingents,
which formed the principal portion of it. It appears that
ea the 20th of June, Major Warden moved from his camp
at Thaba Cuchu towards the Wesleyan mission station of
Nether& which he reached on the following day. Here a
vain attempt was made by the missionaries of the French
Society, Messrs. Castilla and Dyke, to bring about a settle-
ment of the difference between the Resident and the Chief
Moshesh, but without success. Of the causes of their fai-
lure we have as yet no precise information.
On the 28th ult., having received accounts of continued
fighting between the Lighopes under Molitzane, and the
Barolongs under our " any, ' Melnik°, Major Warden left
Platberg for the country of the former chief. His force was
of a very miscellaneous description. it consisted of 90 men
of the 45th Regiment, 44 Cape Mounted Riflemen, 90
Boers, 30 lingoes, 70 Korannas of Govt Tatlybosch, anilBoo
liandongs,—making a total of 1,121 men, with a field bat-
tery of two six-pounders. With this motley finer, Major
Warden arrived on the same day at the foot of a Nat-
topped mountain, some four or five hundred feet high, on
the summit of which the enemy was seen encamped in great
strength.
Here the resident was joined by the griqua contingent
of 200 men, under Adam Kok; and, thus reinforced,
he determined, on the 30th, to make an attempt to dis-
lodge Mont:lute and his allies from their stronghold.
The assailing force was divided into three parties. One
of these, composed altogether of natives, ascended the
mountain in front ; of their success nothing is said, and it
may ho presumed not to have been important. Another
force, of Mersin'', Barolongs, led by a small party of Boers,
ascended on the left flank of the mountain ; and the third
division, composed of 34 Cape mounted riflemen, some 40
Boers, and some native auxiliaries, with one six-pounder,—
the whole under the command of Capt. Bates,—approached
the mountain on theright. Passing through a valley, they
reached the foot of the acclivity, where they were suddenly
surrounded on all sides by overwhelming numbers of Me-
litzane's Lighoyas anti Lynx's Korannas, and were obliged
to fight their way back to the camp. According to one ac-
count, the party was saved from destruction chiefly by the
bravery and steadiness of the Boers. Another writer who
was present in the engagement denies the truth of this
assertion; but his own account of the affair seems
rather to confirm the report. It is furthermore stated
that the division which ascended on the leR was
at first successful in capturing a considerable number of
cattle ; but these were afterwards retaken by a fresh body
of foes, said to be Basutos of Moshesh's tribe. Through
these enemies the Boers cut their way in safety, but many
of their native companions were killed. The chief loss fell
upon the Barolongs, whom Major Warden's expedition was
intended to assist. It is said that more than a hundred of
them were slain.
Atter this unfortunate adventure, the resident retired to
his former camp at Thaba Unchu, where, at the last ac-
counts, he was assembling a larger force, of a still more
variegated character, with the object of making a move-
ment against the Basutos. Besides regulars anti Boers, he
expected to muster, on the 20th of this month, upwards of
three thousand " native allies," belonging to no less than
I seven distinct tribes or clans. It would seem that this
force is not likely to be more than he will require, it he
should succeed in arousing Moshesh to active hostility, as
the people of that chief arc commonly supposed to number
altogether about sixty thousand muds, anti their allies, the
Korannas under Lynx, are said to have mustered at the
recent encounter no less than :100 mounted men. It is with
such enemies that the British resident has chosen, at such
' a time, to embroil the government and people of the
northern sovereignty.
There can be no doubt that Major Warden's motives for
attempting to suppress the hostilities among the tribes
*bout hint were humane and disinterested; but there can
also be no doubt that the attempt was, under the circum-
stances, a rash and ill-advised movement. Of this the best
possible proof may be found in the conduct of the settlers,
both English and Dutch. It does not appear that one of
the former accompanied the expedition. The Dutch
farmers at first resolutely refused to turn out ; and the
resident was obliged to resort to the extreme measure of
confiscating the farms of two of them before he could ob-
tain the assistance of even the small number who at last
accompanied him, and rendered such valuable service in
the field. The reason which the Boers in general assigned
for refusing to leave their farms was simply their aversion
to take part in quarrels among the native tribes, with
all of whom they had been, and desired to remain, at
peace.
The three British colonies in Southern Africa are all suf-
fering under one and the same misfortune. Each of them
is subjected to the arbitrary rule of a single individual,
Wheat; interests ' the interests of the colonists. The

are not
British resident in the sovereignty thinks himself bound, as
a military commander, to keep the peace among the native
tribes; and in attempting to achieve this lauda-
ble purpose, with a wholly inadequate force, he brings
down mews his province a host of formidable ene-
mies. the Lieutenant-Uovernor of Natal, as a sub-
ordinate officer under Sir Harry Smith, considers it his
duty to call out a " commando' of the Zulu inhabitants V.
his settlement; in so he withdraws nearly the who',o