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
Capo of Good Hope, bringing 16 days' later news than
that already published.
Her dates are—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 Monte Video, and, having arrived off the
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 flay 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 Dacres, was at the Mauritius; also the Snake,
16, Commander Brown.

The Thunderbolt steam-sloop, Commander Boyle,
Mauritius, having been tfiratged of September from the
nel to order all the cruizers to ththfliMenanibinna Chan.

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 Quillimaue. She had captured
a large barque of 407 tons, named the Constantia, 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 ship, died on the 27th of July, off Mozam-
bique.
The Resistance troop-ship,
Captain Patsy, was to
sail from Simon's Bay for England the day after
the Sappho left. She may, therefore, be expected
hourly.
The Conway, 26, 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-of-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.
At Ascension were the Actaeon, 26, Captain Mansell,
C. 8., senior officer; the Tortoise, store and guard-ship,
Commander Morrell; and the Cacique, steam prize, in
charge of a warrant officer.
Ascension was very healthy. Turtle was exceedingly
scarce; there were only two in the pond when the Sappho
left.

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.

The Commander-in-Chief
OFFICIAL DISPATCHES.
(From the Graham's-Town Journal.)
Head-quarters, Camp, Buffalo Poort,
plui
ba
iffi
sr
ha re isa ,
theA ufgo.lllo3wing re-
.
ports of officers commanding divisions and detachments
of the three field divisions of forces •
our. . acting under his
Excellency's orders •
in the Amatola. The spirited move-
ments of our forces through this difficult country, pro-
ceeding at the time different
same from points, seems
to have had the effect of baffling the
Kafirs, and changing their • intention to resist our troops
in their strongholds. These they have hastily aban-
doned one after another, with
result of any decisive encounter wout. venturing to risk the
ith us
The conduct of the officers and *
men
employed in
these services, which have been extremely h • and
harassing
arduous, is entitled to great praise :
Fort Cox, Aug. 1, 1846, 9 A.N.
28th
Sir,—ln my letter of the
ult. I acquainted you,
for the Commander-in-Chief's information, that I in .
tended to more 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 my 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, however,
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 Ben-
try who had not perceived their approach. The distance
from my camp to the entrance of the gorge through
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 aloof 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 the 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' operation as previously arranged be-
tween us, were directed to the hills and kloofs on the