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

THE SUN,

THE KAFIR WAR.

PLYIIIoTITEJ, TULSDAY.—The General Screw Steam
Shipping Company's steatn•ship Propontts, Comman-
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 Uitenbage 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-qu,?..rters continue at Fort Beaufort.
Colonel Eyre, of the 731 Regiment will, from ill
health, be obliged to quit the field, at least for a
short time.
Hogge, one of her Majesty's Assistant-
Commissioners for settling affairs on the frontier,
died at Blount Fontein, Orange River Sovereignty,
on the 9ch of June. He left England thirteen months
previously, and lost his life through fever, caught by
exposure in the rain at a meeting of chiefs i❑ Mo-
sheh's country.
The following monthly summary of proceedings
on the frontier is taken from the Cape Town Mail, of
the let .ult.
" Our last was published on the 29th of May, but
suth,equeut mails from some of the remote districts
brought intelligence of much earlier dates. Thus, from
Whit,lescis a le ter of May 3 reports the circursastances
of Captain Tylden's camp, and the apparent mustering of
the enemy in the neighbourhood. Tao difficulties of an
Ene,lish officer commanding native levit2s 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 rock
or tree to serve at once as embrasure and breastwork.
Hence in ambuscades 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 1811, near the boundary of Somerset
and Cradock, when 400 were re-taken.
" May 15—At Fort Cox the Kafirs surprised and
murdered one of the 2d Queen's, who had been cutting
wood not 300 yards outside the fort; and a tew days
after three of the 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 shot on the first
fire. Ono of the survivors (a native) then ran for help,
leaving the fourth (an Englishman) to provide for him-
self and 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 Elizabeth 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 Pullen'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 varte
Hoogte, and into Slagtboom; then five spoors were seen
leading to Enon station. The 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 and 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 Levies, 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 of his own party. Two or three (several
during the month) of the Rifles also have been
wounded, either by the awkward precipitance of the
Fingoes, or by their being mistaken for Kafirs. Such
friends are little less dangerous than enemies.
" May 26.—Some ICafirs 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
were 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 p',ilan-
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.

66 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 oue of
those events that rivet public attention upon
the miserable details of the war. His family had
been previously in comfortable circumstances, but hav-
ing lost nearly all they possessed, the deceased and his
brother became waggon drivers. The same mail ac-
quaints us with the death of Mr. T. Phillips, Justice of
the Peace, another victim to this slow, consuming war.
'Like hundreds of others, writes ono of the frontier
papers, he had been forced to become a houseless
wanderer,' until at length he sank under the effects of
hardship and exposure.

"June 2---Ahout half-past 11 at night a body of Hot-
tentots, under Uithaalder, attacked the cattle-kraal be-
longing to the Missionary Institution of Mount Coke.
Seven men of the place were killed and nine wounded;
but the cattle cut from the waggons would have been
preserved, bad not a large mounted reserve appeared.
The firing was heard at Fort Murray, and General
Yorko dispatched a squadron of Lancers and Cape
Corps, under Major Totenham, who joined in the pur-
suit as far as Debe Neck.

June 3—From Eland's Aloof, 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
the remote districts bordering Tarnnookieland tell of suc-
cessive forays:—from Dome Stein, of Mooi Plants, 500
sheep having been taken.
4 June 13.—The rebel Hottentots attacked five wag-
gons
while proceeding from Graham's Town to Fort
Beaufort, though guarded by a detachment of 31 Sappers
and Miuere, under the command of Captain Moody. The
rebels on this occasion had posted themselves in the
thick bush of the Konap-hill, and as soon as the small
convoy appeared they opened a sudden volley, by which
the leading 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 Borne
ammunition and Mime muskets, which latter were, bow_
ever, rendered useless by the precaution of removing
the nipples.
the Beka station byten flotten-
was scud near
"Oa the saw) day, the mail from Graham's Town

..._. __
tots, but was again recaptured by Tabat (Unaket's) sera
On the 15th, 40 oxen were taken from H. Bcauiden-
hout's place, Highlands.
"June 19--Major-General Yorke, with a large force,
Hot-
tentots supported by Colonel Michel and Colonel Eyre, mar-
chedA
Cape
was against the camp of the rebel Hottentots, which
part of
Athrueonet;ie
the next morning (a day before the
xpected to be attacked). Our success was signal
Corps sergeant, who was taken prisoner, was
whod,
had a gold slain
was
a
immediately hanged. Three of the Minis rifles, and
ammunition lately taken at the Konap were
found.
the stores of the enemy, pouch full Cape Corps deserter,
of
sovereigns,watchand chain; and a soldier found a
rying wool, enters the Yt.
the mode of replenishing
nAanl:ttir
remainsboy tiwilalsotaatknenighitn,
Fort Beaufort, disclosedwho
whe tey manage to laenFavioe,nbltandee
,nevweinthings:pwpolimese.n, car-
" Trio last mail has
telligence of a brutal murder rought.
the sickening in-
the second victim of wanton lead Ohl
ant's Hoek. ibis is
this place by the hands of rebserlbarity who has fallen in
days, but we trust that the Hottentots witnin ten
humbug is drawing to a close, rei
gn of philanthrophic
.. We purposely reserve our eonclud' g
review of General Cathcart's dispositio in-
notice for a
but we feel our inability to detail pl:s and maeceuvres;
himself, and which will receive their finrsatknown only to
lineation in the field. We are persuaded that the Com-
sures have already impressed the enemy with bus wet%
w oleseth,
awe, and we perceive iti the capture of Tetse merely the
cumbrou., device of a bewildered rebel to convey a letter
to his Excellency.
"In the Sovereignty, affairs were really hrieh .
a ietunn
for Pretorius had lotted mans to persuade the Veei,;'
read to confirm the peaceful compact which had been
entered into between the War Council and her Majeety's
Assistant Comu3issieners. Moshesh still puter,es a
very equivocal policy. Apprehended rebels have be-
trayed me fact of procuring gunpowder from this (Thief.
" While se write, our hearts are saddened and our
prospects deeded by the melancholy tiding of Majer
ti"gg" (1,-'oe.h• This g.ntlen3dn'A C lonia.' experience.,
mature juagment and prudence, qualified him in aie ecni•
n"iltt,
_degree for the cask wwhich he h-ei undertaken.
Without the qtghtest intention of disparaging the
meritsuu
feel ourci!,,Al_
,C. °were, his surviving colleegue, vie )et
uatial 1.) ;ees justified in prOAGUlicieg Major Hegge's
'amity T'hinuval, at such a crisis, to be 0. public ca
• 0 re.; ' 1
his senor/. Pectfue sympathy of all cee,ses with
mg witio
our shores. w accompanies her departure front
" In Natal all w
been collected. ,„% quiet. 4,0001 of the hut-tax had
as shQwu v the
4.11 h possibility of manufacturing sugar,
" eeta* of Mr. Morewood'e experiment