The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-11 00:00:00

THE KAFIR WAR.

PLYMOUTIT, TUESDAY.—The General Screw Steam
Shippifkg Company's steam• ship Propontis, Comalen-
der Thomas W. Glover, arrived here last evening,
about seven o'clock.
The intelligence by this mail is far from satisfactory.
Disorder and danger exist all along the border, and
it is feared that the enemy is establishing himself in
the mountains and forests near Uitentiage and Fort
Elizabeth.
General Cathcart has commuted the sentence of
death on Cornet Andries Botha' the rebel Hottentot,
into transportation for life with hard labour.
Head-quarters continue at Fort Beaufort.
Colonel Eyre, of the 73d Regiment will, from ill
health, be obliged to quit the field, at least for a
short time.

M,:jor llogge, one of ber Majesty's Assistant-
Commissioners for settling aff,irs on the frontier,
died at Blom Foutein, Orange River Sovereignty,
on the 9nh of June. 114 left. England thirteen months
previously, and lost his life through fever, caught by
exposure in the rain at a meeting.of chiefs in Mo-
sheh's country.

The following monthly summary of proceedings
nn the frontier is taken from the Cape Town Mail, of
the Ist ult.:—

" Our last was published on the 29th of May, but
subsequent mails from some of the remote distrioes
brought intelleeeece of much earlier dates. Thus, from
Whittlesea a letter of May 3 reports the circumstances
of Captain Tylden's camp, and the apparent mustering of
the clew), in the neighbourhood. Toe difficulties of an
English officer commanding native levies consists not so
much in long and laborious marches over a rugged
country, as in getting their coloured squads to stand
' the tug of war.' The native, whether friend or foe, is
but a trembling coward,' if without the cover of a ruck
or tree to serve at once as embrasure and breastwork.
Hence in amhmeades the deadly precision of their attack
while aiming at some unsuspecting wayfarers.
"From Whittlesea a letter, dated May 11, states the
Kafirs to be getting troublesome.
" May 14—From Mr. Sydserff's place at Eildon 600
sheep were carried off. Three men from Lyndoch joined
in the pursuit, and after various expeditions the sheep
were found on the 18th, near the boundary of Somerset
and Cradock, when 400 were re-taken.
" Ma,y 15—At Fort Cox the Kafirs surprised and
murdered one of the 2d Queen's, who bad been cutting
wood not 300 yards outside the fort; and a tew days
after three of *he 6th were wounded at Mount Macdonald
similarly engaged.
" May 20—A letter from Waterkloof reports that re-
gular attacks are made twice a week by the Rifles, who
are encamped there.
" May 22—Mr. Robey's cattle, on Manley's Flat, were
attacked. Two of the herdsmen were shut on the first
fire. One of the survivors (a native) then ra❑ for help,
leaving the fourth (an Englishman) to provide for him-
self etel the cattle. The prompt arrival of Mr. Robey
rescued him from his perilous situation. On the same
day, in the Addo, two waggons belonging to Mr. Whit-
ing, on their way from Port Eiizabeth to Graham's
Town, were attacked by 40 Hottentots. Captain Pullen
directed Commandant Hurter, also of the Levies, to co-
operate with him in pursuit of the robbers. But in the
twilight indistinctness of the following wet morning,
Captain Pollen's men mistook their comrades for the
enemy they were seeking, and fired into their rear,
wounding four men. The spoor of the retreating Hot-
tentots was traced to the Zuurberg, towards Z warte
Hoogte, and into Slagtboom; then five spoors were seen
leading to Enon station. Tee missionary there denied
having seen any but two friendly visitors! Thus far the
guerilla escaped detection and pursuit.
" Same day.—Fifty Hottentots surrounded the kraal
of the chief Toise, who is friendly to us, stripped his
wives naked before his face, and carried him off as a
prisoner to Sandilli. Reports are conflicting as to the
precise disposition that was manifested towards the cap-
tive by the two parties, Kafirs end Hottentots. Some as-
cribe the atrocity to the Hottentots alone; others allege
that Sandilli commanded the Hottentots to kill Toise,
and that they refused. The whole may have been a
premeditated ruse. Toise brought back a letter from
Uithaalder to the Commander•in-Chief, reading him a
grave lesson of peace without consulting his Kafir allies.
This, we have reason to believe, was the real aim in
view. _ _ _

" The amount of risk we run by employing natives,
whether Hottentots or Fingoes, several auspicious in-
stances seem to prove.. It will be remembered that Cap-
tain Bevil, of the Lems, was shot accidentally by a
Hottentot of his party, and that doubt still hangs over
Major Wilmot's lamented death, whether or not it was
by Fingoes party. Two or three (several
duringthe of his w
month)°" of the Rifles also have been
awkward precipitance of the
wounded, either by the
Fingoes, or by their being mistaken for Kafirs. Such
friends are little less dangerous than enemies.

" May 26.—Some Kafirs from Waterkloof visited
Colonel Napier's camp at Blinkwater, and took 27 oxen
out of the kraal. On the following morning a patrol
started off and captured in reprisal 51 Kafir women, who
%ere safely lodged in Beaufort Gaol. It is very desir-
able that these women should be prevented hereafter

from carrying back ammunition and intelligence to our
enemies. The complaints made of the successful espion-
age of these viragos are quite vexatious. The philan-
thropy which connives at the cunning practice occasions
the loss of many a waggon, and exposes the life of many,
a brave soldier and colonist. Our humanity is, there-
fore, exercised at the price of blood. We are glad to see
that the Commander-in-Chief has, by an order dated
May 30, prohibited the practice among the Levies of
selling their ammunition to the Kafirs under pain of
death.
" May 29.—Eleven waggons, belonging to Mr. Pohl
and others, were attacked near De Bruin's Poort while
bringing produce to Graham's Town; Mr. Humphries
was mortally wounded, and 27 oxen and two horses
were driven off. Mr. Pohl was attacked three several
times before emerging from the bush into the open
country. The death of Mr. Humphries
is one of
those events that rivet public attention
u
the miserable details of the war. His family rand
been previously in comfortable circumstances, but hav-
ing lost nearly all they possessed, the deceased and his
of
one o f the
ewieisra.
brother became waggon drivers. The same man
ac-
quaints us with the death of Mr. T. Phiellots,ni n
Justicei
the
'LikeP eac eh,nanndortehiesr 0 victimfo o emt, to
writesthis slow,
papers, 'he had been forced to become a hou
wanderer,' until at length he sank under the effectss of
hardship and exposure.
"June 2—About half-past 11 at night a body of Hot-
tentots, under Ilithaalder, attacked the cattle-kraal be-
longing to the Missionary Institution of Mount Coke.
Seven men of the place were killed and nine wounded;
but tho cattle cut from the waggons would have been
preserved, had not a large mounted reserve appeared.
The firing was heard at Fort Murray, and General
Yorke dispatched a squadron of Lancers and Cape
Corps, under Major Tottenham, who joined in the pur-
suit as far as Debe Neck.
June 3—From Eland's Kloof, four miles east of Gra-
ham's Town, four spans of oxen and other cattle, worth
3001., were driven off and secreted in one of the bushy
valleys at the confluence of the Kat with the Fish River.
" Concurrently with these depredations, the news from
Idle remote districts bordering Tambookieland tell of sue-
-13.— been taken.
renel
cessivo foraya:—from Dome Stein, of Mooi Plaits, 500
sheep having
Hottentots attacked five wag-
gonsjwuTrile proceeding from Grabm 's Town to Fort
Beaufort, though guarded by a detachment of
The
31 Sappers
v
and Miners, under the command of Captain
rebels on this occasion had pasted theimiele
thick bush of the Konap-hill, and as aeon astshelas the
convoy appeared they opened a sudden volley, by which
the Jeading mule-waggon was disabled, and Seven of the
small convoy killed. During the contest, which lasted
for some time, nine more were wounded, but the re-
mainder were brought off in good/order by the cool gal-
lantry of Captain Moody. The waggons contained some
ammunition and Mim' muskets, which latter were, how-
ever, rendered useless by the precaution of removing
the nipples.
"On the same day, the mail from Graham's Town
was seized near the Beka stadon by ten rebel Hotten-
tots, but was again reclptured by Tabin Winkei's) sun.
On the 15th, 40 oxen were taken from H. Bezaiden-
hout's
place, Highlands.
"June
19.—Miajor-General Yorke, with a large force,
supported by Colonel Michel and Colonel Eyre, mar-
ched against the camp of the rebel Hottentots, which
was
reached the next morning (a day before the
..
Hot-
tentots expected to be attacked) Our success was signal
part of the ammunition
A. Cane Corps Sergeant, '
immediately who was taken prisoner, was
hanged. Three df the Minis rifles, and
who had a gold water was
found. Among the slain lately taken at the Konap were
Fort Beaufort, who discloseds'l
pouch full of sovereigns. a Cape Corps deserter,
and chain; and a soldier found a
manage to leave
wool, enters the enemy.
to A Kafir boy was taken in
the mode of replenishing
town and
the evening, women, car-
ryingthe stores of the
also leave, laden with supplies.
and remains till 10 at night,
brought the sickening in-
telligence whi,enrntehelyast
mail
has
of a brutal murder ar°tut.llll.
the second victim of wanton barbarity who fillhenisiins
tentots within ten
of philanthrophic
this place by the hands of rebel •
days, but we trust that the reign
concluding notice for a
humbug is drawing to a close.
61 We purpoeely reserve our cone]
review of General Cathcart's dispositions
but we feel our inability to detail plans
kiln manoeuvres;
himself, and which will receive their first historical t°
t°
lioeatiou in the field. We are persuaded that thiecaCl de-
mander-in-Chief has not been idle. His judiciousCom-
mander-in-Chief
cures have already impressed the enemy with wholesome
mem
wholesome
awe, and we perceive in the cspture of Toise merely the
cumbrous device of a bewildered rebel to convey a letter
to his Excellency.
"In the Sovereignty, affairs were really brightening,
for Pretorius had found m-ans to persuade the Voilis.
raad to confirm the peaceful compact which bad been
entered into between the War Council and her Majesty's
Assistant Commissienere. Moshesh still pursues a
very equivocal policy. Apprehended rebels have be-
trayed the fact of procuring gunpowder from this chief.
" While we write, our hearts are saddened and our
prospects eluded by the melaiieholY tidings of Mil)' r
lesiege'e death. This
merits of Mr. Owgen,
tnviai.tuhrceljtudgment and pgr qualifiedU'tilellll7,tirl'' c l°'i
ihl m experience,iti n
tient degree for the task which he had undertaken.
the slightest intention of disparaging the
colleague, we yet
The
feel ourselves.
untimely his
.surviving _ ,_
removal,
ojvustified in pronouncirg Major nogg° s
al, at such a crisis, to be a public ca-
lamity.respectful sympathy of all classes with
his serrowing wise,
our shoree. w accompanies her departure from
"In Natal ail was quiet. . l
been collected. The 4,000 oi the hut-tax had
__o punishing us manuteeturiug sugar,
as shown by the bti Cori Of Mr. Alorewood's experiment