The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-03 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

THIB DAY, Four o'Clock.
IMPORTANT FROM THE
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

""We have news from South Africa, with papers from
Giabam Town to the 24th, and Cape Town the
29th of June. The intelligence from Kaffirland is
most important. It appears that on the 14th June
and Dragoons were ordered from Fort Beaufort to
Block Drift ; the Engineers were put into garrison;
and the drifts and passes guarded. Oa the morning
of tle 15th a patrol or detachment, consisting of fifty
of tt e 7th Dragoon Guards, 15 Cape Mounted Rifles,
100 of the 45th Regiment, 20 of the Fingoe Levy,
and about 70 of the Kaffir Police, mounted, in all
255 men, marched from Fort 'Hare upon Sandilla's
Great Place, near Burn's Hill, which they reached
while it was yet dark. They dashed upon the place
and seized about a hundred head of cattle in the
chief's own kraal and in another. Observing at
this time some Kaffirs in a kloof or ravine at some
distance, they sent forward a party to attack them.
This party was repulsed, and the whole body, with
the cattle, bepn to move back to Fort Hare. The
Kaffirs, now become the assailants, speedily retook
most of the cattle, and pursued the patrol some 12
or 15 miles, to within sight of Fort Hare.
The South African Adcertis?r says : These state-
ments are contained in two private letters, published
in the Graham's Town Journal, one dated Fort Hare,
17th June, the other from Fort Beaufort. If they
be correct, and there is no doubt of it, it appears
that an expedition deliberately planned, and di-
rected against the Great Place of the paramount
chief of Kaffirland, has failed; the Kaffir!, though
taken by. surprise, gaining an easy and complete vic-
tory, as inspiring to them as it is depressing to the
troops and other forces employed against them.
Immediately on receipt of intelligence announcing
this reverse, the Commander of the Forces, Lieut.-
General Sir G. Berkeley, with a strong escort of
Dragoons and Cape Mounted Rifles, left Graham',
Town for Fort Beaufort, for the purpose, it was sup-
posed, of immediately commencing active operations
against the enemy. In this affair the Kaffir police
are reported to have fought well against their country-
men. It is, however, suggested as a matter of grave
importance, how far it is consistent with the safety of
thecolony, not merely to place at ms in the hands of men
whit may at any time desert the service, but to perfect
them as marksmen and in the use of such weapons.
.‘ Experienced colonists" says a frontier paper " who
know the Kaffir character well, have great misgivings
as to the soundness of this measure; and, unless
they be satisfied on this head, few of them, com-
paratively, will expose themselves or their families
to that risk which a return to their farms on
the immediate border would, they are persuaded,
inevitably involve. We should belie the firm
convictions of our conscience were we to contend
that each fears are chimerical, or were we to
express satisfaction with those measures of frontier
policy which have been adopted since the arrival
on the spot of her Majesty's High Commissioner.
High as the talents of his excellency con-
fessedly are, extensive as may be his experience
of the natives of India and of Indian diplomacy
—nevertheless, as far as the public can yet see,
his skill and experience are completely baffled by the
craft and Proteus-like qualities of the 50,000 Kaffir
robbers with whom he has now to deal. The fact
cannot be denied, that no movement of importance
has taken place du King the past six months, while the
country from the Kat River to Somerset, sixty miles
ins straight line, still continues abandoned by its in-
habitants, with the exception it may be of a few
families, scattered here and there, whose necessities
have forced them to brave all the disadvantages and,
dangers incident to their solitary positions."
The following is from the Graham's Town Adrer-

There seems to have been a sort of Burn's-hill affair last
week. The enemy, that is to say, the Kaffir tribes with
whom a peace had been patched up, who said they were
tired of fighting, who had given up all their fire-arms in
token of their humiliation and submission, &c., &c., &c.,
have boldly attacked and defeated the troops, with the lose
of two killed and several wounded on our side.
The particulars of this affray, as far as they can be gathered
from private accounts, are as foltows :—A few days ago,
some colonial property, being either horses, cattle,
or goats, were stolen by Kaffirs. The spoor being followed
was traced to the territory of Swale, the principal Gaika
thief, who, it seems, had recovered the stolen property and
seat it to Fort Hare, having seized the cattle of the thief,
or of his own people, for himself. But this did not satisfy
the authorities. They very properly demanded that the
thief should be given up to them. &incline refused. Of
course he knew nothing about the thief. Upon this it was
determined to send a strong patrol to Sandilla's kraal, to ap-
prehend the thief, and, if possible, to take the chief himself,
FRT. Accordingly, on Tuesday morning, before day,
t, two troop, of the 7th Dragoon Guards, two companies
o the 4•sth Re small detachments of the Cape Mounted
Rifles and Fiogo Levy, and about 80 of the new Kaffir po-
lice, well mounted and armed, reached the kraal of this
chief. The attempt to surplase him failed. He escaped
into the bush with his followers. The cattle found in the
kraal, amounting, it is said, to several hundred, were then
driven off by the military. Attila time, it seems, Lieut• Davis,
commanding the Kaffir police, made an unsuccessful attack
with his men upon a detachment or the enep that. were
Medin a neighbouring kloef, and wu compelled to retire.
troops then proceeded on their homewar march, and a
considerable body of the enemy was seen to take up a Isamu-
able poAtion to attack them by the way. When the troops
had reached a part of the road where it is overhung by
a thick jungle, described as being the same spot where the
attack on the waggon train was made about the same
time last year, they were hotly attacked. The fight
continued, it is said, during 5 or 6 hours, the troops
making their way with difficulty through the enemy's shot
to Fort Hare, having lost nearly all the cattle which they
had taken from Sandilla's kraal, and fired away nearly all
their ammunition. We regret to add that Lieut. Russell, of
the Kaffir police, and a private of the 45th have been
killed, and seven or eight other men wounded. The
soldier was killed on the spot, and Lieut. Russell was
dun through the lungs, but reached Fort Hare in
a dying state, supported on horseback by his comrades,
when he soon afterwards expired, at the early age of 23.
The low on the side of the enemy, as usual, cannot be cati•
anted,—hut, as usual, is is supposed to be considerable. At
ell events it is certain that a considerable quantity of ammu-
ititiaa was fired away on both sider.
The Kaffir, may well boast of their victory on this occa-
etl• The expedition was • complete failure. The thief
who stole the property was not apprehended. The cattle
taken from the chiefs kraal were retaken. The chief whom
was intended to seize escaped.
The following is from the f; raliania Town Journgl :
We have received information, which throws • clearer
lad streamer light upon the recent affair with the Ksffirs
new Block Drift than that before given. The leading par-
tcular' in the account before us are as follows
"Four Hake, June I7.—We were completely beaten by
,2,,e Ran yesterday, the particulars being as follows . On
."." 'tontine of the lath a party of military, composed of 50
e the 7th Drage= Guards, 15 Cape Mounted Rifles, 100 of
Ha
4:he R
••• egt., 20 of the Finest Levy, and about 70 of the
,eohec, mounted, left Fort Hare, in consequence of
We m having refused to deliver up a thief, saying
5t4.41 eht think ourselves well off by getting back the
nerees The object of the patrol was to seize and neg in either the thief or Bandilla, dead or alive. The
lermoved off in the night, and reached Sandilla's kraal
before daylight ,• but, unfortunately, the dragoons
wriN, UP, the wading of their swords gave the alarm,
took! Mills reamed from his hut with ,5 armed followers, and
.4, ile, in the adjacent bush. He might have been
lee
would
was allowed to get under cover, probably think-
lea be easy to capture him, but which the sequel
'Wit win entirely a mistake. The military then took

pommies of shout 100 heed of fine cattle, which were found
in the Were kraal. le the mean time, the superintendent
of the polio., Lieut. Davis, gallopped forward with his men
to a kloof where a party of armed Raffles were seen, but re-
ceived so warm a reception as to be very glad to return.
The Raffles seemed to be well prepared and io good fighting
humour. Lieut. Davis then joined the main body with the
cattle, and which moved homeward. At this time the
Kaffirs were baud and seen mustering in force, taking up a
position at a bushy ravine on the road which the military
had to pus. Oa approaching this point, the Kaffir police-
men were sent out as skirmishers, and aided considerably In
diverting the attention of and in keeping off the enemy. At
length the troop' were attacked with vigour on all sides, the
enemy being very numerous, well armed, and abundantly
supphed with ammunition. Their numerical force is esti-
mated at lowest at 1000, while for every shot fired on our
side it is supposed they returned three. By this superio-
rity of strength the Ralibll were not long in retaking the
greater part of the cattle, burning and shouting that they
had beaten the Eoglieh. Not content with this, they fol-
lowed the expedition, hanging on its flanks Indust. to within
three miles of Fort Hare, a distance of twelve or fifteen
' miles, and only returned on seeing a reinforcement approach-
ing from the fort, with a fresh supply of ammunition. Not-
withstanding this long and hamming march, and heavy fire
of the enemy, our lons was comparatively trifling. One of
the 45th was killed on the spot, Lieut. Russell (aud to be •
family connection of Lord J. Russell), of the Kaffir police,
mortally wounded (died this morning), and seven or eight
wounded, among whom is oae of the 7th Dragoon Guards.
The loss on the aide of the Kaffir* cannot be ascertained, but
is supposed, from the quantity of ammunition expended, laid
to be 18,000 rounds, to be considerable. finch are the people
who, • few weeks ago, were professing penitence, and who
declared they had even up all their arms !"
Another used, veiling from Fort Beaufort, makes the fol-
lowiegreestememt:
.4 Waage one. more in a state of excitement and alarm.
lht ILemarr the dragoons were ordered out to Block Drift,
the imigineme put into garrison, drifts and passes guarded,
and the eammunaity warned of coming danger; but why all
thie, web* 'meld learn. Events have, however, mince trans
pined seelmetery.
It impure that a short time ago some goats were stolen
from Kat River, traced to Mamma's people, and by them the
spoor passed to Bandilla's territory. Some days after Sandilla
sent in thee, goats to Block Drill stating they had been
found in the MC de. It wag afterwards discovered that
Sandilla, him* Wright the theft home to sae of his people,
' had eat hem up 'in sequence, and appropriated the
culprit', web is hineeli. A memsge eras scassdlagly
sent to Sethi* deumweling the thief, and three head of
cattle in payeeted. To this an aaswer was returned that
Sandal* beer sedans about the thief; the goats had been
found straying The upshot of all this was that a body of
about three hundred men, dragoons, 46th, Cape Corps,
and Kaffir Police, were sent to attach the chief s kraal.
On arriving at Burn's-hillthey secured the cattle of Sandilla's
own kraal and another. The Kadin assembled in great
force lay in wait for the troops, called out, You have done
well to come to the old graves ' (alluding to the disastrous ,
Burn's-hill affair), and then opened a heavy regular fire
upon the men, killed one of the 45th, and wounded five
others, amongst whom is young Russell, formerly in charge
of the Kama 's people (the Tarka Levy), at the Umselo.
now an officer of police. He is shot through the lungs, and
is in a dangerous state. The Kaffirs succeeded in retaking
the cattle, with the exception of thirty, and two horses.
They followed the troops nearly to Block Drift, availing
themselves of every favourable position in the road to renew
the attack, and on leaving them at the neck cried out,
' By-and-bye you will learn wisdom, and not come again.' "
A circular has been addressed to the Fort Beaufort Burgh
ers, stating that an express having been received from Mr.
Calderwood, stating that Sandilla has resisted a patrol, and
that in Mr. Calderwood'e opinion it was highly desirable that
this chief and his people should be humbled, &c., the com-
munity is warned of the possibility of farther hostilities, and
that though it is not likely that the other chief will join
Sandilla against the government, yet still it is desirable to
make all needful preparation, and that certain places are
appointed for refuge in cue of an attack, &c. Thus you
see we are much in the same position as we were after the
tint Burn's-hill affair.
Received the following : " Fort Decree, June 18, 1847.
The Kaffir' have again been busy down here. On Tuesday
night they succeeded in getting off with five horses beloogiag
to the following persons: One to Mm. Cawood, one to Mr.
Hancock, one to W. Isted, one to Mr. J. Phillips, and
one to Mr. Jobber. A party of seven men were out the
whole of yesterday and to-day to try to intercept them, but
without success. They went up to the banks of the Fish
River as far as Kaffir Drift, and from thence to the post.
The officer, the lion. Mr. Role), very promptly gave us
some assistance, going himself with • party of the Bth Regt.,
to endeavour to waylay the Refire, should they attempt to
cross at the drift. he party have just arrived home, after
a most latiing march of about 40 miles, tired and
dispirited. The Kadin very much infest this neighbour-
hood, and there is nothing done to stop their robberies.
The same party that took the hones succeeded in getting off
with a lot of cattle. They killed one at the Kat River
mouth, and carried off all the meat, even to the feet and
hide. I have no time for more, u the poet is leaving.
"P.B.—We heard a great deal of firing on the Fish Hirer
as we came home this morning,"

We annex the postscript of the Frontier Times
There have lately been some vague reports of a combina-
tion against the colony between Faku, the Amaponda chief,
and Kreili (Hintze's tribe), but so far we can learn Faku is
disposed to' eit vein."
Information, however, has reached town to the effect that
• meeting has lately been held between Kreili and his
councillors, in which • certain plan of defence was agreed
upon, should they be attacked. Before the present go-
vernor's arrival, Kraili, it nem, had sent in a drove of
naffs as • reparation for the lows suffered by
British subjects in his country, &a, which were
received. In the meantime the governor arrived, and
Kreili sent in another instalment of cattle, which, it is said,
were sent back by order of his excellency, who caused that
chief to be informed that he would personally arrange
matters with him. This message, with the refusal of
cattle, was naturally construed by Kreili into an intention
of attacking him, and the consequence was the meeting
above .mentioned.
We have received information from King William's Town
to the ISth of June. On the night of the previous day,
Cobus Congo, Pato'. brother, went to King William's
Tows, offenng to surrender hiself, and also with a message
from Pato to the same effect. Captain Maclean, commis-
sioner for the Slambie tribes, declined to receive the sur-
render of any Kaffir by proxy, and as Cobus had brought no
arms his rirrender could not be received. Cobus asked for the
period of 30 days to give his tribe time to surrender, but
12 days only were given him, which agreement was accepted
by Cobus, who promised that by the 30th instant Pato and
all the chief men of the tribe should surrender themselves,
and the common Kaffirs of the tribe as soon as they could
be collected. Fort Hare had been strengthened by small
detachments from the neighbouring camps.
The news of the late affair at Barn's-hill has
throughout the country, and naturally deepene7t
feeling of insecurity that before prevailed. Of the ge-
neral's intentions towards Bandilla we know nothing.
He is now at Fort Hare, whither he betook himself imme-
diately on the receipt of the rupture, and it is reported that
I Sendai has sent him a message purporting that he is vastly
sorry for what had occurred, and entreating forgiveness, and
the like.
Yesterday, a Kaffir belonging to Pato's tribe, named Conchi,
was brought into Graham's Town and placed in the hands of
theinvil power. He is charged, on the " official report" of Col.
Somerset, with haring been taken in arms against the go-
vernment, and on this charge he has been committed, and
sent for trial, under a warrant signed by the government
commissioner for the Slambie tribes' The prisoner is not a
man of high rank. He is milkman to Pate's uncle, and not
a British subject; with whom, it is scarcely necessary to add,
the civil magistrate can have no business, He was lately
taken by one of Cul. Somerset's patrols in the ceded terri-
tory, but his companions escaped.

The South African Advertiser, in noticing the re-
verse of the British troops, seems to consider that the
expedition was unadvisedly undertaken, especially
where a state of actual hostilities did not exist. It
nye :
The governor knows, or ought to know by this time, that
an attack upon the Great Place and cattle of the chief of the
Gaikas, is a declaration of war to the knife seminst the nu-
merous and powerful tribe of which he is the head. Not
only does all Kaffirland know of it within a few hours after
it has taked piece, but every Kaffir, man, woman, and child,
feels it as an affair touching their own life. Such a blow, if
successful, paralyses all Kaffirland. But when such a blow
is aimed at the person and life of the chief, as well as at his
Great Place and cattle, and tails—when the British force
chooses its own time and means, and come stealthily on in
the night, and is met, turned, repulsed, defeated, and pur-
sued ignominiously to its trenches by the first Kafiri that can
hastily rally round their chief, what is to be said ? What the
Kaffirs said' was this: " You have done well to come to the
old graves"—alluding to the defeat at Burn's-hill in
March last year ; and, on taking leave of the fugitives, with
a cry of derision : " By and bye you will learn wisdom, and
not come again." Such is the relative situation of the two
parties, the civilised an image, after sixteen months' fight-
ing, and after five months' preparation, on the pert of a new
governor, despatched in all haste by her Majesty's govern-
ment to relieve the aged Sir Peregrine Maitland, with in-
structions and powers unlimited to close this disastrous war.
It would be a fatal error to estimate the importance of this
event by the smallness of the forces engaged in it. It is a
spark to gunpowder. The shout through Kaffirland is
" Victory !" And they will add, however falsely, and be
believed that the attack was a treacherous one,—that their
king's life was sought by assassins and his cattle by robbers.
Mid] then, unless Providence interfere by something as far
from past experience as a miracle, a rush into the colony
like that of last year, but probably more resolute and
dangerous, naturally follows.

THIMBLE-RIGGINO.—A party of thimblera almost
daily practise their deceptive vocation on the road which
leads through the Queen's Park to Duddingstone. On
Thursday they were at their work as usual, and their
"decoy duck" was, on this occasion, a well-dressed
female. A gentleman was induced to stop for a few
minutes to witness the game; seeing the lady on the
losing side, his gallantry induced him to join in the game,
when he was fleeced in a short time of upwards of 21.. being
all the money in his possession. Determined to get the
better of Me ill-fortune he pledged his watch as a desperate
stake, and lost it as a matter of course. He now began to
impeach the thimbles, with foul play, and endeavoured to
get his watch back from them. Luckily at this juncture
several individuals came up to the spot, sad, joining the
side of the gentleman, the watch was taken from the
thimbles after a severe struggle, in the course of which the
chain was broken in several piece.—Edinburgh Weekly
Register.

ORKNEY AND SHETLAND ELECTION.

‘0011.1111.1.10.1
KIRKWALL, AUG. 31.—Although the polling et the
different stations throughout both the groups of islands
which form this county dosed on the 26th inaL, we have
only r( °aired the Shetland poll books here this day. The
result of the whole poll for the county stands thus:—
For Anderson
For Donde' lB9

Majority for Anderson
The sheriff will make the proclamation of the return to-
morrow. Meantime, the expression of joy at the success of
the popular cause is unbounded.
The excitement throughout the island has been most in-
term.. One instance of tt may be mentioned as both curious
and interesting. An old man, nearly 90, and almost bed-
ridden, insia.ed on being carried to the polling booth, at
Lerwick, in a cart, and in this manner, supported by his two
daughters, one earning the blue deg, the colour of the
independent or Anderson party, proceeded to the poll, and
gave his vote for the popular candidate. Notwithstanding
the excitement, there has hitherto been no disorder or breach
of the peace. Mr. Anderson is • decided liberal, a tree-
trader, and a voluntary in religious matters.

THE GREAT BRITAIN.—This splendid bat some-
what unfortunate steam-ship is now on the gridiron of the
Prince's Dock, where she is befog thoroughly in.pected, not
only as regards the damage which has been done to her
exterior plating, but also as regards the strength and
duranility of her hull and framework ; and it gives us
pleasure to be enabled to state, upon the authority of
a most experienced engineer, that so ter everything has
appeared most earassissiag far the OWalit. Lb* is
grate safe and sound M. tsar bolt sail *.ass, ass
being shaken. straineet-nor indicating in the slightest
degree anything that would lead to the suppoeitakm
that her back had been injured whilst imbedded in
the sands of Dundrum Bay. Indeed, it is oar opinien,,
and that of many others who witnessed the position which
the noble vessel occupied in Dundrum, that even her sheet-
ing would have been but little iojured, had it not been for
the " penny wise end pound teaks's" system adopted at first,
while the vessel was under the command of Capt. Hoskins.
We allude to the injudicious manner in which thecoals were
thrown under the ship's sides, to he sold to the country peo-
ple in half tone and hundred weights. On more than one
occasion the vessel shifted, and rolling over on them her
plating was injured in many places. It trot be gratifying
to the Messrs. Bremner, father and son, to behold their gal-
lant charge safely docked in Liverpool, and to reflect that, in
discharging their duty to her owners, they have conferred a
last benefit on the principle of steam navigation. —Liver-
pool Times, yeeterday.
ANCIENT SWORD.—After the declaration of the
poll for West Somerset, on Thursday, Sir Alexander Hood,
was girdled with the sword which was surrendered to his
father when he conquered L'Hercule, early in the French
revolutionary war, and which was borne on his coign
through the town of Tsunton forty-nine years ego las.
April. 01.7 being removed to the cockpit with the wounded,
his last exclamation um, " Why did you not let me die at
my post on the guarter.deck 1" The flags of L'Hereule
and the Scowold, Russian man-of-war, token by Sir Samuel
Hood, waved from the Town-hall on this ensue:dons occa-
sion.—Hereford Journal.

(—**)
t
co. 316.1 LONDON,