The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-08 00:00:00

BILL.

On the motion of Mr. ROEBUCK the House went into
Committee on this Bill.
The preamble was postponed.

Clause 1.
111 r. WALPOLE wished the consideration of this clause to
be postponed until it was ascertained whether 35 days would
be sufficient to assemble the new Parliament.
Mr. ROEBUCK said the House of Lords would not pass
the Bill if that point had not been settled.
Mr. WALPOLE doubted the fact. There was no objec-
tion on the part of the Government to the principle of the
Bill; all that was desired by them was information. He
therefore moved that the Chairman should report progress.
The motion was agreed to.
_ _

Lord J. MANNERS then moved for a Bill to amend the
Act 9th and 10th Vict., c. 39, for the embankment of a por-
tion of the River Thames.—Agreed to.
COUNTY ELECTIONS BILL.
Sir E. BUXTON moved that the County Elections Bill be
read the first time.
Mr. ROEBUCK moved that the House should adjourn.
Mr. WALPOLE said the Bill was not a Government
measure ; every gentleman was at liberty to give his vote on
it as he chose.

Dir. COBDEN protested against the principle of the Bill
as the greatest insult ever offered to the electors of this
country. He was glad to find the Government disavowed
it, and he was surprised to find the Hon. Member advocating
corruption. The half-crown tickets sanctioned by the Bill
would be looked upon as a right, while it would not stop
treating, and he hoped the Hon. Member would express his
shame and regret- at having introduced it
Lord GALWAY thought the Member for the West
Riding had gone much too far in his remarks. It was usual
and reasonable to give refreshment to voters who had come
from a distance, and he hoped the Bill would be perse-
vered in.
Mr. ROEBUCK deprecated the imposition of such a tax
upon candidates. If the Bill were carried he should propose
that the expense be placed on the county rates, and not borne
by the candidates.
Mr. W. BROWN agreed with the Hon. Member for the
West Riding of Yorkshire. The Bill had a most demoralising
tendency.

vtscAt
oodes etn9eet
r.nrhe
could
hcui
lesl
he
tads
sls.s
vwveibtaoaeys
tust
boisfpaoaor
rirdrebbe,pt
ee; hhodi v
throwing
y so
oiu Mr. K. SEYMER said if the Bill was seen it would obviate
o
viehhufetsrhho, at
oawsl
nf
-aeg-cw n. —ualldo(A,noulldahgcohn.
)
l
tgh ewr ftohr ea,
support the motion_
Lord R. GROSVENOR would oppose the Bill, because he
thought elections were expensive enough already.
Sir J. TYRELL had had some experience in contested
elections, and he thought there should be a clear understand-
ing about giving refreshments. The last time he stood for
sapoa uptec
county
nle ytnm tyeuhr
acean Memberht
hseceeoseauhndn. y virtuousoe°
ni ns
tdi it gu ne an
Essex there was a serious opinion among the Liberal party
that he and his colleague should be unhorsed, because of this
refreshment, which had been arranged with the opposite
committee. It would be desirable if the House decided the
question. He (Sir J. Tyrell) had no experience of a dry
election; and he was afraid, although the Bill came from
the Liberal party—(No, no)—he always thought the Hon.
Member was a Member of the Liberal party.—(No, no.)
The Bill laid down a self-paying principle, and the Man-
chester school always looked to that point. ' As a matter of
self-interest he (Sir J. Tyrell) might support the Bill; but
he did it, besides, because human nature was unchanged.
The Hon. Member who introduced the Bill should, above all
others, be the last to countenance a dry election.—( Laughter. )
Sir E.BUXTON said, as far as he was concerned, he
desired perfect purity of election, and.his reason for intro-
ducing the Bill was, that it was impossible, as the law stood,
for any man to declare his election had been perfectly pure,
seeing that he had to answer for his agents. It was the
fact, that there had always been an agreement in the West
Riding between the .parties, and that these tickets were con-
stantly issued ; and he also believed the same state of things
existed in Lancashire. The main reason for the agreement
in North Essex was to keep the multitude of voters within
the law, and to, curtail the expense of the election. These
agreements were the cause of the introduction of the Bill.
Until human nature was altered, the constituencies would
consider they were conferring a favour in voting for a candi-
date; and the poorer voters would be discontented if they
were deprived of refreshment. As the law stood, the same
punishment was inflicted on the man who gave a glass of
ale to an elector, and the man who gave 20/. It was like
inflicting death for every offence.
Mr. W. 'WILLIAMS knew a borough where the influence
of the half-crown was all powerful. A candidate who had
refused to give it was denounced in the most unmeasured
terms of vituperation. To pass such a Bill as that before
the House would be to sanction direct bribery.
Mr. BOWKER offered his thanks to the Hon. Baronet
for the Bill. His constituency, many thousands in number,
had to come from a distant mountainous country, and it
would be cruelty to prevent them from obtaining refresh-
ments. There would be no purify of election until Mem-
bers made a solemn declaration to that effect at the bar of
the House.

The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the motion .•• ..
•. ***
61
Against it ... 77
. ••• •
Majority ••• —l6
The Bill was accordingly negatived.
The House then adjourned at a Quarter before Two &dock.

THE KAFIR WAR.

PLYMOUTH, MAY- 7.—The General Screw Steam-
ship Harbinger, Ceptein J. W.' Lane, arrived at the
Ply mouth Great Western Doeke, at 11A et, having left
Table Bay on the ISt or April last. On her voyage
home she experienced very severe weather from the
prevailing easterly winds, end having-run short of coals
was obliged to put in at Scilly to renew her stock. The
Harbinger left Plymouth on her outward voyage on
Fob. 15; St. Vincent, Feb. 26; Sierra Leone, March 2;
and reached Table Bay on March 24. She left Table
Bey, Cape of Good Hope, on ber homeward voyage oa
April 1; arrived at 'Sierra Leone, April. 16; left the
same day; arrived at St. Vincent April
21, and left
April 23; she reached Scilly oti the 6tb, and having
taken in coals there, left and arrived here this forenoon.
The Harbinger brings a home general cargo, and
some specie. At the time of her leaving the Cape, her
Majesty's ship Styx, 6 guns, Commander Hall; her
Majesty's steamer Hydra, 6, Capt. T. Belgrave; and her
Majesty's steamer Rhadamanthus, 2, Capt. Belem, were
in Table Bay. The East Indianian Alfred was to leave
on the 4th for Calcutta. In Simon's Bay: Her Majesty's
ship Castor, 36 guns, Commodore Wyville; her Majesty's
steamer Gladiator. 6,. -Capt. Adams; her Majesty's
steamer Megmra, Master Commander Barlow. At Sierra
Leone. Her Majesty's steamer Penelope, Commodore
H. W. Bruce; and her Majesty's steam sloop Archer, 14,
Commander J. N. Strange, which was under orders to
sail for England on the sth of April. The West India
Royal Mail steamer Teviot was at St. Vincent on the
22d. The Jessica, merchant ship, bound to Rio,
Mourant Commander, had taken fire at sea, and wile
entirely consumed. All -hands were saved. The fire
is supposed to have originated in spontaneous com-
bustion.
The Harbinger took out Lieutenant-Goeernor Dar-
ling and Msjer-General Yorke. The Lieutenant Go-
vernor on landing proeeeded • to Government House,
where, shortly afterwards; he was waited upon by the
Municipal Commissioners, who presented to him a con-
gratulatory address. Her Majesty's ship Hydra arrived in
Table Bay early on, the morning of the 31st of March,
with his Excellency Lieuteuant.General the Hon. George
Cathcart, the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the
colony, accompanied. by Lieutenant-Colonel Seymour, his
military secretary, and the lion. Capel Curzon, aide-de-
camp. His Excellency was-received with the accustomed
forms at the Government Houle, and
after being sworn
in, the Commissioners of the Muaicipality of Cape Town
presented him with a congratulatory address ou his ar-
rival in the colony. It was said that General Cathcart
meant to proceed en the _following a day in the StYnxt to
assume the command of operations at the seat of war,
where the late Governor, Sir Harry Smith, was at the
time of the Harbinger leaving.
' This mail brings intelligence 14 days • later than that
brought by the Maidstone.- It now appears that in the
conflict on the 4th of March, Colonel Yarborough was
severely wounded, and that amongst the, killed was
Sergeant Laing. It has been already stated that on the
following day Sir Harry Smith advanced with a strong
force into the Waterlslcof, were a greet deal of desul-
tory warfare has since _been carried on. In one of
these affairs the Hononrable 11. Wrottesloy, of the 43d
Regiment, lost his life, and ton privates of the 91st
were wounded. The latest dates from the frontier are
to th© 27th March, at which time operations were still
being carried on. Although great numbers of Kafirs
arc constantly reported to have been killed, yet no desire
has been expressed on their part to submit, and the
prospect of a satisfactory peace appears to be as far off
as ever. At the same time the barbarities of the Kafirs
are of the most inhuman character, the sufferings of
the poor fellows who fall into their hands being fre-
quently protracted with the moat revolting bru-
tality. It is stated that Mr. Hartung, the bandmaster
of the 74th Highlanders, who fell into the hands of the
savanes, was cut into pieces with assegais, whilst living,
being kept under torture for three days, during which
time they cut off his fingers and toes, inch by inch, at
intervals; and when, at the close of the third day, the
wretched man asked for food, a piece of his own flesh
was cut off from his body and given to him. He died a
few honrs afterwards. The case of Sergeant Laing was
still worse. Ho fell into the hands of the enemy, and
three days after his capture-he was found expiring under
the horrors of crucifietion, being extended upon his back
on the ground, to which he was fixed by stakes of wood
driven through the palms of his hands, the ankles, and
the fifth through his body.
The Legislative Council had voted 500/, towards the
relief of the sufferers from the Birkenhead. The whole
amount subscribed at the Cape was 7201. 16s. 6d. The
survivors from the wreck of that ill-fated vessel had been
sent to join their respective corps in Kafirland. The
60th Rifles; who went out in the Megaera, had also pro-
ceeded to the frontier.

(From the Cape Town Mail of April 1.)
MONTHLY SUMMARY.
At the departure of the last monthly mail steamer the
latest
intelligence from head quarters was to the effect that Sir
Harry Smith had summoned the whole of the burgherse Bth
the frontier districts to assemble at certain doints on the
instant., to aid him in making an extensive movement
against the enemy.
Some days before the time fixed for the burgher muster,
busevtere,
another of those unfortunate affairs took place which
so strongly characterised the present war. A portion of the
forces belonging to Major-General Somerset's division were
detached, by order of that'officer, and thrown into a position
of much peril in the Waterkloof, where, after destroying some
huts and killing a number of Kafirs, they were attacked at
a disadvantage on their return by a large body of the enemy,
and during a conflict of several hours, before thearrival of sup-
port, they sustained considerable loss. The troops engaged
on this unfortunate occasion were-300 of the 91st Regi-
ment, under Colonel Yarborough, 150 of the 74th, and 70 of
the Cape Corps. Colonel Yarborough himself was severely
wounded, and .of his gallant corps one sergeant and three
men were killed, and Ensign Hibbert, three sergeants, and
eleven men wounded. The 74th Highlanders had one killed
and four wounded, and Captain Bramley, of the Cape
Mounted Rifles, was also wounded. Great blame has been
attached to Major-General Somerset for exposing so small a
body of men in a locality known to be so dangerous. On
their return to camp, the Kafirs; of course, immediately re-
occupied the ground whence it had been so ineffectually at-
tempted to dislodge them;
On the following day, the sth inst. Sir Sir Harry Smith ad-
vanced from King. William's Town, with about 2,500 men,
in three columns, under Colonel Pole, Colonel Michel, and
Colouel Eyre, and entered the Waterkloof. Here a number
of desultory operations appear to . have taken place, the re-
formsults of which
It would appear that the enemy generally avoided
meeting the troops; and although considerable numbers
must have fallen, by the sbellsthrown amongst them where-
ever they were seen in numbers, it is believed that the main
body have succeeded in leaving that locality and
Sandilli and his followers in joining
the Anaatolas—a stronghold
which they have held throughout the war, and whither Sir
them up. , as engaged Harry, by the latest accounts w in following
One of Macomo's principal retreats, in the Waterkloof,
previously deemed impracticable for
European troops, was
successfully penetrated by the column under Eyre, but the
stores
enemy
and about disappeared, leaving in our hands a large quantity of
130 women, one of them the principal wife
of Macomo, with three of his children.
In a later affair, in the Waterkloof, the Hon. H. Wrottesley,
43d Regdiment, lost his life, and ten privates of the 91st were
wounde.
The operations of the column under Colonel Michel are
successful ; but at no point, it appears ,
spoken of as highly
did the Kafirs make any decided stand. With incredible
labour the two guns at to his column were dragged
through the dense bush, and Placed on the most command-
ing heights, but the space within rane seedily
to found
to be deserted. This part of the foice g
doeswas p not seem have
met with any opposition ; and although it was known that
the ravines and kloofs were warming with Kafirs, ready to
cut off stragglers, or ke
of advantage of any unguarded
movement, the whole
days, the troops destroyin the Waterkloof was traversed for g
without a single casualty, the 'enemy's huts and crops,
Almost the only satisfactory feature in the aspect of fron-
tier affairs is the almost entire absence, ddring the mouth,
of depredations . within the border ; the marauding bands
who formerly-infested the eistern •'districts having been ap-
parently recalled to assist their chief.
- The number of burghers who responded to the Governor's
call on the Bth amounted shall to about 800 men, most of
the cl of " boers," and but few, we
the comparativ 1 E l' h districts of
them bteeloetnegtien,gfrteom
e y ng is
I.Titenhage. That these men
Areighreenty,
should be found to leave their families and farms at all, in
Fort-ilaanfort, and
had been of the same kind made upon them,
the present disturbed state of
speaks well both
affairs, and after so many calls
for their courage and their loyalty.
The Legislative Council after re'
post-
'. --er LePeated delays and
ponements, has at last proceeded with the " Constitutional
Ordinances," for carrying- into effect her Majesty's letters
patent of 1815, creating a Parliament in this colony. Strenu-
ous efforts were made by Mr. Montagu, the 1 m tenens of
the Governor in the Council, to have ti_ _
la - asu
mg representations were
untif after the war ; andrme_smt
iathnno +-le me re postponed
made by him to Sir.l.-lar y_S - f the dangers to which he
imagined the discussion of certain_ clauses would lead. Sir
Harry, however, insisted uptin the wishes of the Home Go-
vernment being carried into effect ; and the Bill was laid
upon
ft trb , the several Go-
the table as a Government measure
vernment members being le a i erty to vote upon the de-
passed,theodinance
instigation of Mr. Me
tails as they pleased. The result was that
but at the
ure
(the 251. ntagu, the funda-
mental part of the measure (the franchise) has been
virtually to
the
dbeotohne
oc of lroeuprreed..
rticipation ienztchl inhabitants from any
changed for one so higfehiraspe
This alteration was nobly sentative privileges.
y resisted by.
General, theAuditor-General, and the Col-
lectorthe Attorney-_
who declared that they considered the
of Customs,
less.
measure, so mutilated, to be entirely worth
Bart of the month various demonstrations
During the early par-
for the draft ordinances,
of gratititude to the Crowno
impeded their immenzest, and of
condemnation of those ,who h_
various parts of the ae
en
Thea-
, ment, have been made in
which included a colony,prayer for Mr.
petition from Swellendam,
mentioned in our last- summary.r.
Montagu's removal, `was
e arrived from Worcester and Clan;
Similar petitions have since
brought to Cape Town by a body of
William--the latter
eof whom had ridden fifty, others
twenty field cornets, some
hours, in order to present it
forty, and none less than`eneral Cathcart, who was then daily
personally to Major-General
expected. Being disappointed in this, they returned peace-
fully to Clanwilliam, leaving their petition in the hands of
the chairman of the Cape Town Municipality, to be by him
presented, on their b
the new Governor on his ar-
rival
iy-appointed Lieutenant-Governor,
Mr. Darling, the new
arrived on the 24th inst., gave great satisfaction to the
public by declaring, in rep and
to an address presented by the
Municipal Commissioners, reply
his determination to "devote him-
self to the promotion of the interests
disti of the
.'
people of all
nction
classes in this colony,' without any
Lieut.-General Cathcart, who arrived yesterday in the
immediately to the frontier to relieve
Hydra, will proceed
Sir Harry Smith. Upon Lieut..
Governor Darling will then
of the civil government of the
colony ; and it will be f
devolve the administratiorn
him
to decide whether he will
give his fiat to the "bill"
o as passed, and thereby constitute
it an "ordinance,"
form only it will be received
' in
which t
from the colony by the Seer:.ary efh State, or whether he
and" introduce the Bill
will quash all previous proceedings, a
Government mea-
de novo, making the 23/. franchise
sure." Nothing, we believe, would give more general con-
tentment throughout the colony a
measure which, in his than his adopting the latter
course, refusing his sanction to
characteristics that had
ab-
sence, has been deprived of all those
Caused it to be received with such unbounded satisfaction by
the inhabitants, and especially whenep be shall have learnten contempt of the.
that, thus grievously mutilated in

SAT U a A_ 117. Le: v ENING,

remonstrances of the colonists, it has cnly been passed, in its
present useless form, after every other means had
been attempted, by the majority of the nominee Council, to
frustrate and defeat the beneficent intentions of her Majesty's
Government.

(From the Frontier Times)
ADVANCE OF THE GOVERNOR AND TROOPS.
King William's Town, March 6, 1852.
His Excellency left this yesterday morning at the head of
a very imposing force. He marched at half-pest four A.m.,
but was not clear off the drift until nine P.M., through so
many waggons, the same day. The depot for supplies is to
be at Fort V,'hite. The strength of patrol as follows :-
Ist Cavalry Column, under C.,lonel Poole-12th Lancers,
224 rank and tile; Cape mounted Rifles, 26 ditto; total, 250.
2d Column, under Colonel Michel—Royal Artillery, 2
guns, 18 rank and file;. 6th Regiment, 380 ditto; 45th
Regiment, 248 ditto; 60th Regiment, 397 dttto ; Cape
Mounted Rifles, 25 ditto; Ist Corps of Levies, 100 ditto;
Catty's Rifles, 70 ditto; total, 1,338.
3d Column, under Colonel Eyre—Royal Artillery, 2 guns,
18 rank and file; 43d Regiment, 386 ditto; 73d Regiment,
356 ditto; Cape Mounted Rifles, 25 ditto; Ist Corps Levies,
100 ditto; Fingoes, 100 ditto; total, 985.
22 rank and file 2d Regiment, 60 rank and file 43d Regi-
ment, and 20 Montagn's Horse, to reinforce Fort White.
The Commander-in-Chief's Escort—Captain Knight, Cape
Mounttd Rifles, in command; Lieut. Gough, 1 sergeant, '25
rank and file, 12 levies, 1 sergeant, 25 ditto; Cape Mounted
Rifles, Lieutenant Murrie; 60th, 1 sergeant, 4 ditto—each
from corps.
Captain Armytage has received three months' leave to the
Cape on account of the severity of his wound. Colonel Mac-
kinnon remains in King William's Town as British Commis-
sioner, and has also vacated his quarters ready for the Lew
Governor.

L I A NT 8 i 5 '2.

eying the Waterkloef ; while Captain Tylden and Captain
Bruce were directed to co-operate on the side of Post Re •
tief, and Lieutenent-Celoncl Pole, with the 12th Lancers, was
posted at Hertzog, to intercept their retreat.
The right column under Lieutenant-Colonel Eyre. at the
Blinkwa!er Post; the centre post under Lieutenant-Colonel
Michel, at Bl,keway's Farm; and the left column under
Lieutenant-Colonel Napier, at Nel'aFarm, moved at daylight
on the 10th instant upon the rebels in their densely wooded
kloofs and fortresses. These operations have continued for
three successive days.
The troops under Lieutenant-Colonel Eyre were vigorously
resisted. Two howitzers were got u:) the very face of
the mountain, and aided by rockets were of great use,
under Captain Faddy, Royal Artillery, in shelling the
enemy's kloofs. On the first day all the villages on the
summits of the heights and many huts within the bush were
burnt. A detachment of the 43d Light Infantry and 73d
Regiment, under Captain Campbell, of the 73d, carried on
this day in a very gallant style a most formidable.pass, the
enemy shouting, dancing their war dance, and daring him to
Come on, which he did to their total overthrow and rout.
On the following day Colonel Eyre made a very judicious
movement, so as to envelop and surprise the den of Me-
nem, regarded by the Kafirs as inaccessible. It was car-
ried by Colonel Eyre iu person, 130 women and children
being taken, including the great and favourite wife of Ma-
como, three of his other wives, and two of his children; all
stowed away under precipitous krantzes and in deep caves.
Some ammunition and a quantity of lead were found, to-
gether with stores of provisions and blankets, and plundered
clothes, with two watches; this being the very lurking-place
of Macomo and his pakati. The Fuller's Hoek was also pene-
trated in various other directions. During these two days'
operations numbers of the enemy were slain, eleven being
found in one place, killed by the fire of cannon, and
many others being found in different directions.
Gn the third day the enemy eed completely
bewildered, scarcely showed himself anywhere,m and offered
no resistance. The captured women are in the head-
quarter camp. Macomo's favourite wife 'says that Sandilli
had ordered Macomo, his son Kona, and his counsellors to
join him, in order to consult, and that they have gone ac-
cordingly, leaving Namba, the great son, in command.
[This is not believed.] She states that the
.Kafirs and Hot-
tentots have quarrelled, and now hate one another.
Lieut.-Colonel Michei's operations have been conducted
with every energy. Great opposition was expected, as the
'4Vaterkloof, and more especially the rugged bushy pass at its
head, had on former occasions been stoutly occupied by nu-
meroas Hottentuts. The troops, however, encountered few,
and the resistance of these was feeble. By great exertion,
Colonel Michel succeeded in getting his guns upon the
heights, which had previously been considered impracticable.
On the second day, in conjunction with Lieutenant-Colonel
.Napier, he swept the whole of the Waterkloof, destroying
the locations of the enemy in the valley, and penetrating
the dense and intricate kloofs on either side. He met
throughout with no opposition.
Lieet—Colonel Napier moved on the 10th up the Water •
kloof valley. On entering the narrow and difficult ground
towards its head, it was evident that the enemy med tated
an attack upon the rear, and Colonel Napier accordingly
placed the 91st Regiment, under Major Forbes, in a position
to resist it. This was most effectually done after a sharp
fight, and Colonel Napier gained and maintained his position.
Colonel Michel, hearing the firing, joined him with part of
his column, and the enemy disappeared in every direction.
t3uriog these operations Lieut.-Colonel Perceval; with a
combined face of military and burghers, was to dislodge the
enemy from the Fish River Bush; but as yet no report has
been received from him, nor any from Lieut.-Colonel Pole or
Captains Tylden or Bruce.

Only one report has as yet been received of a burgher
muster, viz., 120 men at Haddon's old post.—By command,
IL L. MAYDWELL, Military secretary.

THE OPERATIONS IN WATERKLOOF.
The following account of the recent operations in this re-
doubtable fastness•will be found to embrace a very well-con-
nected account of the whole movement :
" On the 10th March we leftßlakeway's Farm for the Wa-
terkloof, leaving behind the waggons and a strong camp
guard. We posted our guns on a hill over the Waterkloof.
The men stripped off their blankets and other incumbrances,
and then took the bush in extended order, one regiment
sweeping round in the direction of Fuller's Hoek—where
Colonel Eyre was operating—the remainder extending di-
rectly across from krantz to krantz. It was difficult work.
we heard very heavy firing on our right front. When we
reached the more open part of the Waterkloof some Kafirs
showed in front, who ran away on a few shots being fired at
them. We turned up the bush path that divides Fuller's
Hoek from the Waterkloof. Several shots were fired from
each side—some Kafirs appeared in the centre path, who
escaped without injury. The path was covered with car-
tridge paper and some blood marks. Shots were flying
over the path from friends as well as foes—the
greater number from the former. As we neared the head of
the pass we :found the Ist division, who had just ascended
before us. They reported ten men wounded. Communicated
with Colonel Eyre, and wound down by another pass, joined
our guns. Next morning returned to the hill we had left
the day before, and with the Ist division went down the
Waterkloof; burned a large number of huts; moved on till
we came to the foot of a high hill called Iron Rock. On the
top were large bodies of Kafirs, who paraded a number of
cattle, inviting us to try our luck. As we could not walk up
the face of the krantz, we moved round the hill in two divi-
sions, and ascended a hill on the opposite side, where we
found the guns posted. It was so steep that both. men and
horses were regularly blown. It was now growing late, so
we had to move to some place for water, and halted.
The
Kafirs (as we anticipated) were in full confidence, thinking it
was the usual sort of work, i. e., look at it, and leave. Next
morning we (the Ist division) went home, and as our
chief knew that on our retiring home, on next
appearance the enemy would all betake themselves
to the hills with their cattle—the event justified
it. We left our guns at Blakeway's farm, took four
day's rations, and returned. The morning of the 13th it was
reported that about 1,000 Kafirs, with a number of cattle,
were on the hill. An officer commanding a regiment with a
good glass said about 400 came into the krantz and bush
which covered the ascent, and I saw about 200 or 300 go
into another part. We formed in front, and sent in a few
rockets, and moved on. The enemy fired very briskly, and
from strong parties within a few yards of our men. They
were certainly very numerous. Colonel Michel cheered on
the skirmishers, and snatching a rifle from a man shot the
first Kafir. It was then all excitement—shouting, cheering,
Michel still leading; and the hill was our own in less than
an hour. We took 570 head of cattle and 60 horses from
the ugliest place in Kafirland. The enemy had some
Yo
u
know We found in several places 14 or 15 dead.
know I was always more than sceptical as to the
large amount killed on paper. Next day hunted up all
their kloofs, took some cattle; burned immense kraals; and
with our cattle slept a second night in the bottom of the
redoubtable Waterkloof. On the 15th attacked a nest of
Totties ; took one prisoner, eleven horses, and lots of stores,
bibles, bullet moulds, pans, clothing, &c., then moved back
to the hill ; and in two days after found the Commander-in-
Chief. You have seen the general order in which one bri-
gade and its commander are eulogised, and with much justice,
but Colonel Michel's work passed over very quietly. Had any
other commander performed the. same work, four sheets of
foolscap would not have contained it, though our dear chief
is enthusiastically loved and respected by every officer and
man under his orders, and is possessed of every good quality
which can endear him to all who know him."

The following particulars show the character of the fight-
ing in which the troops and burghers are engaged. It will
be seen that one of Whittlesea's most gallant defenders is
now engaged in the operations against Waterkloof. Mr. T.
H. Bowker, whose hand was some time ago injured by the
bursting of his gun, has, we are happy to say, healed, but is
yet weak.
" POST RETIEF, MAacit 12.—We left Fort Beaufort on
Monday afternoon, soon after the arrival at that place of
Captain Tylden, Commandant T. 11. Bowker, and about 40
men, from Shiloh. We then proceeded to Blinkwater (seven
miles), passing the camp of the troops of the second divi-
sion that had entered it the day before. A long wattle-and-
daub place, that was intended for a church, is now the com-
missariat store at Blinkwater and the centre of the camp,
around which all the tents are stretched. Here our horses
had as much forage as they could eat, and we ourselves, as
usual, mutton, biscuit, beer, &c., as we wanted, besides a
shake down on the floor, all free of expense. About three
next morning we started for Post Retief ; after a beautiful
ride, passing through Buxton, at which place we found that
the Somerset burghers had not yet arrived. The next day
(Wednesday) was the day of the attack on Waterkloof.
About seventy of us, including Captain Tylden and Com-
mandant T. 11. Bowker, kept the open ground within sight
of of
of the kloof, and within some 300 yards of a o
Kafir huts. We saw the 73d on the top of the hill,atetuenarahsuanvlit7,
gone up through the bush out of the kloof with some
Burghers
but we were not near them. '
were on the hill before we were
Amongstp them were
the spot were the 73d were resting.wker.
were, Somers
assed on to
Messrs. William and Octavius Bo
in the kloof.
tiring in
saw. very
few Kafirs, but heard a great deal of firi
We here intended to attack the enuetmyn,tontdhetakkelutuhr
bcuatttwlee,
should the troops drive them
opportunity
of accomplishing any-
returned home without an
f n which we could see into the
thing. Yesterday we went out again for the same purpose,
but to a different spot, roining
huts and kraals. We could
kloof. The troops were burning
perceive lots of huts in different places. In a high krantz,
in the opposite side of the kloof, surrounded on three sides
by krantz, and on the fourth by bush, were about 300 to 400
sh approach roo
theach
foot t o
steeptr oop
head of cattle, guarded by about lOO Kafirs—as nearly as I
could judge. 11-e could see a
column
of
krantz in single file, climbing up a very
of the krantz, when they disappeared in a kloof. ave only
heard two shots as they approached the kloof. We could
see at the back of the bush, on the fourth side, a number of
burghers off-saddled. The grass where the cattle were was
on tire, and we could see no more of them. There was a
great deal of cannonading in Inllet.s Hoek, and a few shells
i
were thrown n Waterkloof.After remaining on the hill
until three o'clock P.M., we returned back, leaving a party
of sixteen to forelay oue of the paths. Including our own,
five parties of burghers were on both sides of the kloof.
We go to-night on a forelaying expedition, and to-morrow
we are going on some other service, taking three days
provisions with us. There.
are about 300 here, nearly all
mounted, being burghers, Fmgoes, Hottentots, and
men of
the gallant 74th.
" Messrs. A. Rubidge and Charles Coleridge have joined
Mr. William Bowker. We are all in good health and spirits.
This is a fine country, full of grass and water."
GENERAL ORDER.—NO. 249,
Head-Quarter Camp, Blinkwater, March 16, 1852.
1. The Commander. in-Chief congratulates the officer soldiers, levies, and burghers in the field, upon the successol
the late six days' operations over the enemy in evehriyizilirec-
tion in which he could be encountered—a
success o may
well be expected to lead to a permanent, lasting
peace, The
Kafir tribes have never been previously thus
punished,ece, and if
their expulsion over the Kei be effected, tranquillity on a per-
manent basis may be looked for.
No soldiers ever endured greater fatigues, none ever en-
countered them with more continued cheerfulness and devo-
tion to their Sovereign and country,
To Major-General Somerset the Commander-in-Chief
again desires to express his approbation.
The most prominent of the recent services are Lieutenant-
Colonel Michel's on the Iron Mountain, which was carried by
the bayonet in spite of the difficulties of the ground and the
numbers and spirited opposition of the enemy ; Lieutenant-
Colonel Eyre's intrepid, judicious, and continued attacks on
the extremely difficult mountain range of the Fuller's Hoek,
occupied by the chief Macomo with his best warriors, to tra-
verse which passes of an extraordinary character had to be
carried, in which Captain Campbell, 73d Regiment, greatly
distinguished himself; but the
great effort was required upon
what is termed Macomo's den, and this was assailed and
penetrated by Lieutenant-Colonel Eyre in person, descending
among daring savages, every one of whom was slain, and
where 130 women were captured, amongst whom were Ma,-
como's great wife and three others. This clearing of Fullterea
Hoek was an achievement of no ordinary character, and n
Commander-in-Chief regards it as the last object the eneuifs
hostile disposition clings to.
Lieutenant-Colonel Napier's affair in the Waterkloof on
the 10th inat. reflects equal credit upon himself and the troops
under him.
The Commander-in-Chief desires also to convey his
marked approbation of the conduct Lieutenant-Colonel
of Li. Lieutenant-CO-
f
Nesbitt, commanding the 60th Regimen.,