The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-02 00:00:00

WAR IN KAFFIRLAND:

(From the Herald.)
Another arrival from the Cape of Good Her has
put us in possession of news from the frontier, of several
days later date, at which period the Kaffirs and the
British continued hostilities, without the most remote
appearance of their termination, unless military succour
were promptly rendered. The colony is in a most de-
plorable condition, left as it is to a handful' of troops,
against hordes of daring barbarians. Indeed, if we may
place reliance upon the statement of a Fingoe, who had
escaped from the bush, it was the fixed intention of the
Kaffirs to make an attack upon Graham's Town. Several
engagements had taken place, in the most of which the
Kaffirs had been successful. A little gallant affair
however, cccurred at Salem, where the enemy (300 in
number) were soundly beaten by the inhabitants, con- •
sisting of a few young men, who exhibited the most -
determined bravery. The details subjoined will be read
with interest. To enter into treaties with these faith-
less tribes is worse than useless, and until a strong mi-
litary force be placed at the disposal of his Excellency
the Governor, to keep these barbarian bands in check,
neither property, nor quiet, nor life will be secure in the
colony.

(Supplement to the South African Commercial Advert ser of
May 2.)
The frontier post arrived in town this day, May 3. It
brings intelligence from Graham's Town to the 28th of April,
four days later than the advices received on Thursday last.
The sum of the intelligence is that the Kaffirs have en-
tered the colony in great numbers, and have succeeded in
carrying off numerous droves of cattle, in the defence of
which and their homes and families, several of the colonists
have fallen.
The following is the latest intelligence from Block Drift :--
An express came in from Fort Beaufort this (Tuesday)
afternoon about one o'clock, bringing information from
Block Drift to the 25th April (Saturday). The troops con-
tinued inactive, and nothing, it appears, was known of the
inroad of the Katiirs into the colony, for Colonel Johnstone
has been directed to send as large a force as he can muster to
strengthen Fort Peddle, a step which, having been ordered in
total ignorance of the events which have lately occurred, will
of course not be taken..—Frontier Times, April 28.
Levies from all the districts have been ordered up as fast
as they can be assembled and m,!rched, and it iA evident that
the whole force of the colony i; instantly required to meet
this enemy. Not an hour, not a moment shout! be lost, anti
the word for all i.e silent and unlicA!ating obedience to
oreers. . The whole colony must move upon this enemy, as
one body, animated by one ,ojl. All ranks and classes of
men have now to fight for their own safety, as well as for,
rescue ci the frontier districts: •

The holy of Mr. J. Norden was recovered by a party thati
gallantly moved from Graham's Town to the place where hei
fell, for that purpose. No Kaffirs slt, wed themselves, theA
party being nearly 200 strong. Col.,!!(;! Johnstone, with al
party of the Cape Corps, joined them.
.On Sunday last some farmers and a few of the Cape
Corps fell in with some Kaffirs on the Ecca heights, and a
smart skirmish commenced, in which five Kaffirs were shot
dead, and sevei al wounded. None of the biters were hurt.
Mr. O'Brien's party returned to town yesterday (Monday)
from Committees. They report that the bush is literally
swarming with Kaffirs. They were opposed by dense bodies,
upon whom they kept up a continuous fire—at last taking
up a position in a bush, which they maintained for three
hours against overwhelming numbers. One of the party
was accidentally shot through the head whilst raising
his gun, for the purpose of firing ; this, and the loss of 9
horse shot by the Kaffirs were the only casualties. But fol. the unskilful firing of the Kaffirs, none of the party conic;
have escaped.
Imme..ise herds of colonial cattle were being driven through,
the Fish River on Sunday and Monday, by large bodies 01
Kaffirs. They passed close under the guns of the post, and
suffered much loss from the grape and canister shot thrown
in amongst them. The dead and wounded were instantly
placed on pick bullocks and carried off.
No heavy firing had been heard at Trompetter's up to yer
terdav morning. Had Fort Peddie been attacked it must have
been 'known at Trompetter's.
A large herd of cattle reached town yesterday for the con-
tractor Cawood from Somerset. A party of Botman's Kaffir
who had fled from their chief with the missionary Dirt.
escorted them. They fell in with no Kaffirs.
Heavy firing was heard yesterday by the party whebrought
in Captain .Nor4en's body; it was supp-sed by them to be ie
the direction of Graham's Town.—F. Times.
These events have all occurred in the neighlyourbood of
Graham's Town, from which nearly all the twits had bee() withdrawn, or in Lower Albany, whieb was protected itt
front by a small force at Fort Peddle, &c. The Kaffirs'
therefore, have avoided the troo;,s, and by interceptia.;
_messengers, &c., have so far 'succeeded in keeping th,c Governor in ignorance of their movements on his right 90" in his
The burgher force was only beginning to arrive at thifr
scene of danger. The union of the troops and burghel!
from the districts will soon change the scene, and with t"' favour of the Almighty the colony will be cleared of this ded
structive foe.

GENERAL ORDER. •
Block Drift, 20th April, 1846.
The Commander-in-Chief congratulates Col. Somerset and
the officers and troopS under his orders on the chastisement
of the enemy, which closed the operations on the 18th ine:,
The movement on Block Drift was successfully effected 1":
the combined force with little lose, in the presence of 4
enemy with many times its numerical amount, through -
harassing country, and against persevering attempts to ittr, pede its march. His Excellency thinks it. ~ne to the
lantry of the force, to remark that the Kaffirs are not 01
same foe as they were on former occasions of hostility,
wh'o
chiefly armed with their native weapons; but have bcc"a
much more formid.b!e from a great increase of numbers, al',
Considerable m..:ainted force, and especially through the Poo
session of tire-arins, an acquiAl ion on t heir side which
particularly adapted to the entangled country which, vas t''"
scene of the laze operations.
(Signed) A. J. CLOETE,
Deputy-Qr.-Mr.-Genera,-

-------
(Ex-:•:i Supi,l nt.
-s: , (;',.,,,,i's Town Journal, April
cr 0
It may be Stated +. ; 1 ...r.;i.y ti.at the whole conntri,, ..',.,,
Kaffirlacd to Bushnian's laver, is in the hands of tlte-I(,g'v who are rava;zi,;,.,:, it wi h perf.,•,- nnpunity. Mr. 11. Follett./
house WAS att....eked by them Si:l Saturday ni;.;ht, a;;d a s*e,if spirited coldest was maintained for about an hour, the eikevic
at last retiring, with the loss, as it is supposed, of many of tbeto force, but as they endeavour, by every possib!e means,
conceal their losses and to carry away their dead, the ouTic
bar is not known. On Saturday night a desperate att„4'
was made upon the Keerega Farm (Major Selwyn's) '1",„
occupied by Mr. Roods, and where a number of farmer
Dutch
Dutch and English, had assembled with their cattle '4".4
mutual defence. The attack was made just at the close t,
the day,, the first shot fired by the enemy killing a Hottentot'
A volley was then fired upon the premises and amorgi.t t,,v
cattle, several of which were killed. The fire was rr.,.„,roedw:t
the farmers with great determination, bat r:,,ey were ;0
ol ern gl2t h
horse,oliliged
withto
reared, one or t``,,e
horses and several cattle were shot i- TP , this rencontre. la
body of one Kaffir was found in tt d bush covered over wlej,
straw, but it is supposed that ms :.,...
.y more must have been kil` AV
On Sunday night Mr. API k• , . . bar.
...oe ie s position, near Lom d,
Post, was attacked short:,- 'nead, beside '0
g.r.
eat cmamftebre
numbers
sunset,
keepingthe lafti,ursp saunrrilellz ins the premises in
sant fire at the dCom and windows so as to prevent the 0
mates from coming out, while another party with axes br°,, down the ga. es V, the kraal, and carried off, it is said, no ti than 2,500 he'..d of cattle, the joint property of the farm of that neit;nbourhood. The dwellings of Mr. J. Slater, 50
Salem, of Dr. Livingston, on the Kerreika, of Mr.
bilsoi
ment, on the Kowin, and many others in that line
country have been fired'and consained to ashes.
Mr. Coeltroft's positien at Donkin Mount has also bee,
carried in te same way as Mr. M‘Luckie's, all the cattle;
about 700 head, being sec ept off by the marauders. Three cattle were pursued the next day by a party of thirtrt'a
burgher, under the Field Cornet Bradshaw, and who Wilts
smuft engagement for an hour in the Fish River Bush, ~(1
a large body of Kaffirs, but from whom they were obliged
ultimately to retire, though not without, as they supP'
• having killed ti great many of the enemy. They retre3,o
by Trompettei's Drift. Mr. O'Brien, who was with
~,,t",i,
party, states that large numbers of Kaffirs are in the J'',ll
River Bush, and that many thousands of cattle have pasro",i
through from the colony into Kaffirland. lie is of opio:,0
that a considerable number of Kaflirs must have been ell'i
killed or wounded, as pk nxen have been seen towards Kaffirlandi ladenac apparently with the slain ot 'enemy. f 1
o
From these facts it will be seen that in almost all theiif
enterprises the "Kaffirs have hitherto been successful, 81)„,
have swept the country as with the bes‘mi. of destruction and with -an open daring which is unparalleled in Kaffir vlri;
fare. We have no force to act upon the offensive, and
seems very evident that unless reinforcements arrive,
1.-
colony, to an extent we can hardly calculate, will be reg..
.
tiered a desert. Actual want is already felt; many at v
inhabitants have lost their all—have escaped to Grab
Town merely with their lives, and are dependent upon tb
friends and neighbours for their deity food.
1
tltge 1 iti ie g 0 '
Mr. IL Fuller's farm was attacked a second time -,4
ice,
off lv
atrariesoan7lants were again
gallantly bee
i;
l t lbut

(From the same of May 6.1
The frontier post arrived this morning,
Graham's Town Journal of May 9(I gay 7. Front Li).
- •-:4St Saturday), the!.."l"
lowing extracts contain the principal events 6f the to:,
prece ling days, and bring intelligence down to Saturasi morning, the 2d inst.
_,,,1
1;on has been detached to Fort Peddle, fit!
Colonel Richard
Some to Graham's Town. to the aid of the Pla,
Colonel Sorn
itlages in front and to the right of Graham's To.„.""it
and v
Tod
nurauding parties of Kaffirs are very numerous, ""..
they have succeeded in carrying off much bolty, and destrlia
ing many houses, but with little loss of life on the coloo,,
side, and great loss on theirs. Wherever they are resolatvilv
met or attacked they have uniformly given way. It is o°_,
positively affirmed that Pato's tribe has joined the enemy
and most probably Pato himself. The Fingoes have dig%
guished themselves during these few days, as before, by thud o
courage, steadiness, and address, equal in this case to t
highest discipline. The Burgher forces were arriving
quick succession—not too soon, but in time to save All'
from from utter ruin.
ncl
Behind and on the left of the troops at Fort Beaufort
Block Drift, hordes of Kaffirs are ravaging the colony, Tile
whole line of frontier, for more than 100 miles, requires 1;
mediate aid from the districts behind, that is, from the Whole
colony.
• But the reader will gain at once a knowledge of all tho,
has transpired, as quickly from the Journal as from 1113'
summary :
.... _ _

- Graham's Town Journal, May 'Z.
WEDNESDAY.—To• day, Colonel Somersei, with about
of the Cape Mounted Rifles, a detachment of the 7th Dreg°,4
Guards, under Captain Hogg, and a party of mollolo
Burghers arrived from Fort Beaufort
to avoid the dangerous defile of tie Ecca heights. The ibe
telligence brought by him is of a very gloomy character, he
„_making a detour Behr
ravages of the enemy having been equally destructive hnpti.o..
beautiful division of the Konap, as in Lower Albany.
perty to an immense amount has been destroyed, but r,.;00
thankful to say very t'oconsiderahle loss of lite. The poilribe
of Mr. W. Gilbert' had been carried, although considereupie
strongest and most defensible place in the country. n
, feet
premises are surrounded with a stone wall, loop-holed,
high, each angle commanded by block-houses. The 7,51,
having mustered in force, made a dash close up to thew
~.00,
drove out the Fingoes from one of the block-Itor
and octal-ally pointed their guns through the ric`o..
holes., so as to fire into the interior of the er.,..0
4atre, The gates they battered to piecess with 1
stones, and ultimately, yelling and shouting, went etr.; for
about 600 head of cattle which had been placed theltsclro
security. It is evident that the Kaffirs in this 111eir.•
depended on the terror occasioned by a night at A&
or they might have chosen the day time, awl