The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-24 00:00:00

THE KAFIR WAR.

PORTSMOUTH, FRIDAY MORNING.
Her Majesty's ship Sappho, 16 guns, Commander
Gambier, arrived this morning at Spithead from the
Cape of Good Hope, bringing 16 days' later news than
that already published.
Her dates-ire—Simon's Bay, September the 4th; St.
Helena, the 16th; Ascension, the 21st. The Sappho put
into Torbay on the 21st, from stress of weather.
She also brings a mail and papers to the 3d of Sep-
tember from the Cape.
The Apollo troop-ship proceeded to Waterloo Bay a
few days before the Sappho left, to land the troops she
brought from Monto Video, and, having arrived off tht
place and anchored, tremendous " rollers" set in, and, in
endeavouring to get under way, she parted with the
whole of her anchors, and was nearly lost. She returned
to Simon's Bay with the troops still on board, and was to
sail after procuring anchors for Algoa Bay on the Bth
of September, to disembark the troops.
The squdron was thus distributed on the 4th of Sep-
tember :

The President, 50, Captain Stanley, flag of Rear-
Admiral Da.eres, was at the Mauritius; also the Snake,
16, Commander Brown.
The Thunderbolt steam-sloop, Commindei. Boyle,
arrived at Sitnon's Bay on the 3d of September from the
Mauritius, having been through the Mozambique Chan-
nel to order all the cruizers to the Mauritius.

The President (we learn by the Thunderbolt) was to
sail for Zanzibar, and return to Simon's Bay through the
Mozambique Channel.
The Helena, 10, Commander C. Ricketts, was in
Simon's Bay when the Sappho left, having arrived from
the Mozambique on the 3d of August. She had lost 18
men by fever and dysentery, and sent upwards of 20 to
the hospital at Simon's Bay. No officers had died, and
they_ were all well when the Sappho left. She was to be
ready for sea about the 16th of September.
The Cleopatra, 26, Captain Wyvill, was cruising be-
tween Mozambique and Quillimane. She had captured
a large barque of 407 tons, named the Constautia, be-
longing to Rio, fitted as a whaler, but having all the
appearance of being engaged in the slave trade. She
was sent to the Cape for adjudication, in charge of Mr.
Charles, Master of the Cleopatra. Lieutenant Gibson,
of this Mozam-
bique.
the 27th of July, off
Theship,
Resistance
troop-ship, Captain Patey, was to
sail from Simon's Bay
for England the day after
the Sappho left. She may, therefore,
be expected
hourly.
The Conway, 2G, Captain Kelly, arrived at Simon's
Bay on the 31st of August, from the Mauritius, to un-
dergo a thorough refit, having been lying at the Mauri-
tius for nearly two years. She has during her stay there
been tolerably healthy.
There WAS no man-or.
war at St. Helena, but a small
slave-schooner, fully equipped, a prize to the Kingfisher,
was lying there for adjudication. The Larne, 18, Com-
mander Brisbane, was hourly expected from the coast of
Africa.
wwaesreveornylyhteviaolth
At Ascension were
C. 13., senior officer; the Tortoise, store and guard-ship,
Commander Morrell; and the C •steam prize, in
charge of a warrant officer. Cacique,
the Actroon, 26, Captain Mansell,
scarce;
left. • iny the Turtle
whenwas texceedinglyheSapphe

The Sappho is perfectly healthy, and has brought no
invalids from the squadron. She has been absent from
England three years and a. half, during which time she
has been employed cruising in the Mozambique and on
the south-west coast of Africa. She has captured seven
slavers—five in the Mozambique and two on the south-
west coast, and has been throughout very healthy.

(From the at
OFFICI
The Commander in-Chief
DISPATCHES.aGraham's-Town
rown
Journal.)
Head-quarters, Camp, Buffalo roort,
ing re-
ports of officers commoner') gdivisions and detachments
publishesTi.aff ra ria ,
theA Aug.
1103;
of the three field divisions lot our forces acting under his
Excellency's orders in the Amatola. The spirited move-
ments of our forces through this difficult country, pro-
ceeding at the same time from different
points, seems
e tt.ct o f
to have had the C baring
the calculations of the
Kafirs, and ch • . tinging their intention to resist our troops
in their strongholds. These hastily
. they have aban-
doned one after another, ,
without
venturing to risk the
result of any decisive encounter with us.
The conduct of the rficers and men employed in
these services, which have been
extremely harassing and
arduous, is entitled to great
praise :
Fort Cox, Aug. 1, 1846, 9 a.m.
Sir,—Tn my letter of the 28tI: A ult. I acquainted you
for the Commander-in-Chief's information, that I in-
tended to move on the following morning
to support
and act with Sir Andreas Stockenstrom, in our proposed
operation of scouring and clearing the Amatola
valley. It had been my intention to move nay force
at three o'clock in the morning, so as to arrive at day-
light to the entrance to the ridge, along which I had been
informed I could take my guns. .This intention, however,
of moving at so early an hour I was compelled to aban-
don, in consequence of a brisk fire having been kept up
on the camp during the night, which led me to apprehend
that the enemy might be in some force in my neigh-
bourhood, and therefore that a march in the dark might
not only meet with interruption from the enemy, but
lead to confusion amongst my own force, from the fact
of its being almost wholly composed of fresh raised Hot-
tentot levies and Fingo companies. I ,
consequently de-
termined not to move until daybreak, having_ hoviever,
as a precautionary measure, detached the Hottentot com-
panies, under Captain Hogg, 7th Dragoon Guards, and
Field Captain Reyneveld, an hour previous, with orders
to possess themselves of the high range of hills that
overlooked my camp, and there to await my arrival with
the guns and remaining part of the division. These
companies ascended the hill in perfect silence, and gained
the summit without being observed, killing a Kafir sen-
try who had not perceived their approach. The distance
from m camp to the entrance of the gorge through
y which I was to pass with my guns might perhaps be above
three miles, which I reached without seeing a single
Kafir. I immediately caused the kloofs to be entered by
the Hottentot and Fingo levies, whilst I moved on, keep-
ing the head of the hloof with my guns and the detach-
ment of the Infantry of the line, which were only suffi-
cient to form their escort. In this manner tho kloofs
were completely scoured from the head of the valley on
this side, and we continued our work until we reached
the hill which overlooks Fort Cox.
I have great satisfaction in communicating to the
Commander-in-Chief the very excellent conduct of the
whole of the force under my command ; particularly the
Hottentot companies and Fingo levies, on whom devolved
the arduous task of scouring the kloofs, a duty which
they performed in such a manner as to merit the greatest
praise.
Sir Andreas' operations, as previously arranged be-
L tween us, were directed to the Dials and kloofs on the