The Sun.
London, England, 1851-10-21 00:00:00

THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.
The Cape Town Mail of the 12th September gives
the following summary of news :
"During the six weeks which have elapsed since
the departure of the Hellespont, few events of a
cheering character have occurred, and the aspect of
affairs in the colony and beyond the frontier is as
gloomy as it has been at any time since the com-
mencement of the war. Our last summary left the
Commander-in-Chief, on July 20, at King William's
Town, engaged in sending out detachments of troops
to traverse British Kafraria in various directions;
while within the colony every frontier district was
overrun by the enemy, who had swept off many
thousands of cattle and sheep, had burnt numerous
farm-houses and had completely devastated some ex-
tensive tracts of country. Since that time the same
system of operations has been continued with little
variation. Patrols have been passing to and fro in
Kafraria, occasionally crossing the boundary into the
colony ; while the depredations of the enemy have
been carried on with as much activity and success as
ever, in spite of the efforts of the colonists and some
detachments of the troops to check them.
" On the 21st of July two patrols were sent from
head-quarters, under Lieutenant-Colonels Michel and
Eyre, the first for the purpose of surprising the chief
Seyolo, in the Keiskamma Kloofs, and the second to
clear the poorts of the Buffalo. The first-named at-
tempt was not successful ; but the latter resulted in
the surprise and dispersion of a party of the enemy,
some of whom were killed, and in the capture of
nearly 200 cattle, taken out of the kraals of the Kafirs.
" On the 29th, the same officers again left King
William's Town, and after conveying supplies to
Forts White and Cox, swept round the Amatola, and
aptured altogether about 250 head of cattle, killing
sn one occasion seven Kafirs, who were drawn into an
tmbush.
" On the 7th of August, Lieutenant-Colonel Michel
;vas sent with a force of about 900 men to clear the
'xtensive Fish River Bush, between Trompetter's and
Committee's Drift, where a number of marauders had
established themselves. Colonel Michel traversed
these fastnesses for five days, and destroyed several
of the locations of the enemy. On one occasion,
during a night movement, the enemy fired from an
ambush upon his column, and killed two men of the
Clanwilliam Levy; but the assailants were beaten
off, with (as was believed), considerable loss.
" On the 15th of August Sir Harry Smith, after
repeatedly declining to accede to the urgent solicita-
tions of the Graham's Town Board of Defence, en-
treating that a portion of his force might be sent into
the colony for the protection of the inhabitants, at
length consented to dispatch Lieutenant-Colonel
Eyre, with half of the 73d Regiment, and more than
100 horse, into Lower Albany. This movement has
been productive of some advantage to that part of the
colony ; but in spite of the activity displayed by the
troops, the maurauders have continued their ravages
in the close vicinity of the patrols and within a few
miles of Graham's Town.
" About the same time a detachment of 152 men
of the 45th Regiment, under Major Kyle, while
patrolling near the Seven Kloof Mountains, had a
sharp conflict with a body of Kafirs and Hottentots,
losing one man killed and three wounded, but in-
flicting, as was believed, a considerable loss in both
killed and wounded on the enemy. Another skirmish
took place near the Debe Neck on August 19, be-
tween Captain Vialls of the 45th Regiment, with
about seventy men, and a number of Kafirs, of whom
several were shot, with no loss to Captain Vialls' de-
tachment.
"On the 21st ult. Colonel Mackinnon, with a
force of 850 men, was dispatched to convey supplies
to Fort Hare, and bring back the fifty Hottentot
rebels, convicted and sentenced to transportation by
,he court-martial. This service was duly accom-

pushed, and.on the 27th the column returned to head-
quarters without having encountered an enemy,
either in going or in returning.
"On the Ist instant Lieutenant-Colonel Burne,
of the 2d Regiment, who was engaged in patrolling
the Fish River Bush, near Committee's Drift, had a
severe action with a body of Kafirs and Hottentots.
The particulars are not fully known. The fight is
described as a sharp affair,' and the casualties were
rather heavy, three soldiers being killed and twelve
wounded.
" Some other operations within the colony require
to be noticed. The Tambookie marauders having
been very troublesome on the north-eastern frontier,
a party of 200 Albert and Colesberg burghers, under
Commandants Olivier and Joubert, assembled to
chastise them. The party made a patrol into Tam-
bookieland, and captured about 200 head of cattle.
On their return, they were surrounded by a very
large force of Tambookies, estimated at about 2,000
strong, and were for a time in a critical situation.
They were rescued by the advance of Commandant
Joseph Read, with his mounted troop, to their as-
sistance. The milted colonial force then attacked
and routed the Tambookies, killing 129 of them.
" Major-General Somerset, with the first divison of
the army, has been moving between the Somerset and
Albany districts, but has been able to accomplish
little for the protection of the inhabitants. In the
latter part of July he made an etTurt to expel
Macomo from the Waterkloof, which that chief, with
several hundred of his people, has made his strong-
hold. General Somerset was unsuccessful in this
attempt, and he soon afterwards withdrew from that
neighbourhood, leaving the inhabitants to defend
themselves. This they have done as well as their
numbers and resources enabled them, but with only
partial success.
" Oa the 4th ult. a party of 12 mounted men,
headed by Messrs Ainslie and McGregor, with about
30 Fingoes, encountered a large body of Macomo's
Kafirs, estimated at not less than 600, whom they
defeated and drove before them, killing no less than
20 of them. This easy victory of so small a body of
colonists renders General Somerset's failure the more
unaccountable. That officer has recently been en-
gaged in patrolling in Albany, and has succeeded in
re-capturing some cattle taken by the enemy.
" Numerous other skirmishes of military and colo•
nial patrols with the enemy have taken place, but it
does not appear that any material effect has yet been
produced in restraining the activity or diminishing
the boldness of the enemy. Every post brings ac-
counts of fresh depredations and ravages committed
at various points within the line of the frontier. At
the latest accounts from the Somerset district, many
coloured servants (Tambookies and others), who had
hitherto remained faithful, had joined the enemy, and
aided in driving off their masters' cattle. The
burghers of Graaff-Reinet, Cradock, and Zwagers'
Hek, were to assemble on the 4th instant at Somerset,
to endeavour to expel the enemy from the Kaga

Mountains.
" In the Orange River Sovereignty, the British
Resident has made no movement since h:s repulse by
Molitsane, on the 30th of June. He has, however,
published a Government Notice Extraordinary,'
in which the people of Moshesh and Molitsane (the
Basutos and Bataungs) are denounced as enemies,
and the settlers in the Sovereignty are summoned
to enrol themselves for military service. The inha-
bitants have generally refused to obey the order,
alleging that they have no desire or motive for
quarrelling with those chiefs. A public meeting of
landowners and merchants has been held at Bloem
Fontein, at which resolutions were passed, severely
censuring the conduct of the Resident towards those
chiefs, as impolitic and unjust. A force, consisting
of two companies of the 45th Regiment, with some
native auxiliaries, has been dispatched from Natal by
Lieutenant-Governor Pine to the assistance of Major
Warden, and it is said to be the intention of the
Commander-in-Chief to send the 12th Lancers to the
same province. The latest rumours from the Sove-
reignty, received through Kafirland, are of a startling
nature. It is reported that the two denounced chiefs,
Moshesh and Molitsane, were about to join the hostile
Kafirs with all their forces, numbering 8,000 or
10,000 fighting men, but the report needs confirmation.
" During the last month the 2d Regiment of Foot
(Queen's Royals) has arrived from England, and the
12th Regiment from Mauritius. About 450 men
have also arrived from England in the troop ship
Sumner and s. Cyclops, to reinforce the various
corps already in the colony, and nearly as many volun-
teers have been sent to head-quarters from the western
districts. The freight ships Berkshire and Charlotte,
and_ the steamers Retribution and Odin, with the 12th
Lancers (for whom a full complement of. horses has
been
mfie„.pivarrcehans:V,
daily
dthe
expected.
Battalion. of the 60th
be dispatched in consequence
f
Orange River Sovereignty, two steamers will pro-
bablyto India for reinforcements. But
nothing is
Commanderein.ceg known of the intentions of the
The Frontier Timpersopgoisv
proposed
Sovereignty." f relative to the affairs of the
dt.he following informa-
isposition of the troops:
informa-
tion concerning the
" The whole of the 91st Itegl.enent now in Graham's
i. u,edat Fort Hare.
Town will proceed to join head-quarters
tribu
We believe that the following
distribution of
the troops at present intended :—One companyraohatirs
12th, with head-quarters, will remain at Graham's
Town, two companies will relieve Colonel Eyre in
or-- eneral. The 45th will
Lower Albany, end the remaining three will be placed
at the disposal of the Msj G
and .Forts White- and Cox will be
ggaortrohmn
go
Forted Hare,
vtl 2d. The 12th Lancers are to
to the Sovereignty, and the 60th Rifles to join the
Major. General's division.
-

Graham's Town,
Defence in Smith by the Board of
was fol-
lowed . „
together with his Excellency's
reply.
A ion at
Subjoined is a—me--morial presented. to Sir Harry
returned short answer
was
opinion, to which an exceedingly
1 in `Chief remained unaltered :
rc!ived from the
, stating that the views of the Commander
.1. That the alarming nature of the intelligence
their opinion, that ;the force now acting within the 1
upper frontier districts shows, in i