The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-09 00:00:00

THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

By the Tcviot we lssi that the screw mail
steamer Sir Robert Peel, from the Cape of Good
Hope, arrived at St. Vincent on the 26th ult., and
left the same day for Plymouth; she had news on
board from the Cape up to the 2nd ult. It appears
that she left the Cape two or three days before her
time, with important and urgent despatches for the
government. Those on board the Sir Robert Peel
refused to give any journals or mention the news
they
had from the Cape to parties on board the
Teviot, which was then lying in St. Vincent harbour,
although there was every probability that the Teviot
would reach England first. Dunng the stay of
the Sir Hobert Peel and Teviot at St. Vincent, per-
sons on board the latter obtained by much difficulty,
and the observance of much secrecy, that the news
from the Cape was of great importance—that Sir
Harry Smith was just holding his own. He could
not advance, and was merely sending out scouring
parties. Ile was anxiously waiting reinbreements
from England. The Peninsular and Oriental Com-
pany's steamer, Singapore, with 300 troops, had ar-
rived at the Cape, but her Majesty's steamer Vulcan
had not arrived when the Sir Robert Peel left. A
Kaffir chief, on whose alliance the governor relied
upon, had gone over to the enemy. Iho beers were
taking the tield. In an engagement with the enemy
123 of the British troops, men and officers, had been
slain. The Sir Robert Peel did not stop
to coal at St. Vincent, her commander being
anxious to reach Plymouth before the Tcviot
reached Southampton. When the screw mail steamer
left St. Vincent, she had a tremendous head wind to
encounter, and it was hardly possible for her to make
headway. It was expected that she could not
reach Plymouth for two days or longer after the
Teviot arrived at Southampton.
Meanwhile, we have received files of papers from
the Cape to the 16th of April, eight days later than
,those previously arrived. The following summary is
from the South African, of the 12th of April:
The intelligence received by Thursday's post is mars
gloomy than ever. A feeling. of discouragement and alarm
seems to pervade all communications from the frontier, and
scarcely any of the writen find hope of relief from the
genera anxiety in any prospect that the future offers. '
One correspondent writes from Graham's Town The
war, I deem is not yet commenced. I believe that Kreli,
Paw, Umhala, Moehesh, will all join the war party, and that
the danger will be greater yet than it has ever hem" And
then, speaking of the state of things within the birder, the
writer proceeds to describe some haunts of Halsethee, sew
Graham's Town, where a little army ofthe maniglety turned
adrift by the governor might WM. meth sae. " For
d
our own part," he adds, •' we arm& at yeathill ithe out
Graham's Town without minima the dime d bewarmi
by some Hottentot, whom we mat perms to IMP
until it is too late to find out ear mmYtmhw
The chief event hos been the rend Of 111.1tWinienith
900 men, in the course of width woe 111 et al Ran the
said to base fallen. It maw be awe Rime alai that
Kreli is now implicated is the war.
From the vorael the IsOlDigepos Rive
them. AU the imam ht Wades boa=
elves Loosen fir sethdethmem. ialat bad
taken two headset red eweeeraw heed eternal' et taw
berg from the Mopes. Retest l•sadwhsMaahedl
Country to all the both cattle of Iffellifeele. the eider with
wham we haw been la mtheshw aides beallity. Thai
tattle was ramie& by a e lady et Temehemilme,
lteareeseaZzlivkil &wattle. The DIM= wee
it yellow attUe, as the peephstilat
directed the Reim koellesh's eldest rea—trbe. It way
be stated, ham always beta at the head eta wet peaty. mad
was late= et thew, who visited Cape Taws some
sia with maid to have prepared
twee s. Isla the T=1..16410 to have be reareleed
lit tether.
Oa the 196 Mr. Cole awl Camweitht Siebert wen at
Bettrwee etatiosieleLeopmetalith list a Timber-
lbws dial Been
weldjoia Uwe be River marthet the
111 loathes awe geoid be Ifered hew that para. wok
'wart were about 10 lodes haat WNW& mail athem
weertun Wt. fa eseaftwase et the
aor may tam Cabin Biwa • Waif
llot wow iatellignee hew Yr. Oat the et
It states that oat the sera* et that ibe

chiefs Meunier. Amhali, and Beperi, and a number of Tens
bookies, all mounted, and estimated at 1,000 stronf,attar
the lingoes at the mission station, at the Witte
killing six, wounding four, and carrying off all their
Major Donovan, with 60 Cape corps, 200 of the Albert anlll
Colesburgh Burghers, with a 6-pounder followed og *1
enemy, and overtaking them in the fastWerses of the Witte-
=completely routed them, leaving 200 deed on the
ad made them by in the greatest terror, Meuroso
(Marcos) having been glad to divest himself of his clothing,
which were picked np by P lingo and brought to the camp.
This certainly is a valuable achievement."
Such is the prement unhappy state of the whole interior.
There seems no prospect of any aid from foreign sources,
and, indeed, it is currently stated that the Governor will
not undertake the responsibility of sending for troops
elsewhere. The civilians of the immediate border are ex-
posed to ruin, from the continued s,!rvice required of them,
and the continued state of uncertainty in which they live.
And even the West feels the evils of the war most bitterly.