The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-11 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY

THE KAFIR WAR.
PLYMOUTH, TUESDAY, JUNE 10.
GJ•iyz,ral screw Seem Shipping Company's
steam-ship Sir Robert Peel, Captain Boxer, arrived
this morning. She sailed froni Plymouth on the 15th
of March ; arrived at St. Vincent's on the 29th of
March ; sailed the same day for Sierra Leone, and
arrived on the 3d of April; sailed on the 4th, and
arrived at the Cape on the 27th of April ; left there
on the 2d of May. The homeward dates are—
Sierra Leone, 19th of May ; St. Vincent's, on the
26th of May ; she remained at Sierra Leone 18
hours for water.
The accounts by her give a total contradiction to
the report brought by the Teviot of the severe loss
sustained by Sir Harry Smith, who appears to hold
his own securely until ne has disciplined his present
irregular forces, and added to them from home, when
no doubt he will be in a position to make a demon-
stration against the enemy.
The most important intelligence is the defection of
who has openly joined the Kafirs; but this
rebel's efforts on the fidelity of Pato had been hitherto
unsuccessful. No doubt the faith of Pato and other
important allies will be grcoitly strengthened on the
arrival of troops by the Singapore and ties expecta-
tions of more reinforcements from the mother
country.
Lieutenant and Adjutant Fletcher, of the 73d
Regiment, was killed in a skirmish on the 16th of
April. His body was found piercA by twenty asse-
gay s.
The Singapore reached the Cape three days before
the Sir Robert Peel—viz., on the 24th of April, and
her troops were to go by the Dee steamer to head-
quarters at Graham's Town.
We take the following " Latest Frontier Intel-
ligence" from the Cape Town Monitor of the 2d

ult. :
" The frontier post arrived in Cape Town at one P.m.
yesterday, bringing the latest intelligence from the seat
of war.
" Our whine from King William's Town are so late
as the 233, and from Graham's Town to the 26th ult.
(April).
" Communications from Butterworth had been received
at head-quarters on the evening of the 23d, showing that
the Chief Keeili had committed himself with the war
party, and had been personally engaged in conflict.
Another patrol of 800 men bad been ordered out for the
purpose of following up the lute successes against the
enemy.
" The remaining remount horses from Cape Town had
arrived safely and were being distributed. The disarmed
Cape Mounted Rifles were being re-armed and equipped.
The corps would amount to 260 men, which, with 150
men of Armstrong's horse, would enable the Governor
to dispatch a strong force across the Kei, against Kreili,
if necessary.
" Toise continued to send useful information, and re-
ported that Mr. Gilfillan's Commando (Civil Commis-
sioner Cradock) had marched from Shiloh ou the White
Kei, and severely handled Mapassa's Tambookies and
some of Kreilee people, and were proceeding to sweep off
their cattle.
" Major Wilmot's patrol was still out. A recent state-
ment in a Port Elizabeth paper, that seven Cape Mounted
Riflemen had deserted, after their arms had been restored
to many, and that 1,000 rounds of ammunition were found
rolled up in a blanket, is denied.
"By reports from all quarters the Kafirs were be-
coming heartily tired of the war. They would not
be allowed to rest in the low countries, and being
driven to the Amatola mountains they would expe-
rience much suffering from the cold and continued ha-
rassing.
" Information had been received through one of
Kroili's great councillors that the Gaikas cannot hold
out much longer; that thirty of their great men
had fallen, and that they could not count the inferior
victims; that they are coming in—one man with tour
or five women and two or three head of cattle, &c.
" The Gaikas were in perpetual alarm, driving their
cattle hither and thither, to the great injury of the milch
cattle and calves.
Umhala has sent in his son to King William's
Town to seek out intelligence. He was quite un-
prepared for the news of the further patrol against
Seyolo.
" Pato remained steady and was in high spirits, occa-
sioned, it is said, by the punishment inflicted on Stock,
Seyolo, &C.
" A correspondent, whose information has hitherto
proved to be well founded, states that he had received
intelligence that Kreili had endeavoured to oppose the
Burghers and other forces at the Imvani, and had been
completely routed with considerable loss, having nar-
rowly escaped with his own life. He had retired to the
great place,' and had called on the Fingoes in his
country to join him, but without effect.
" Stock (Eario's tribe) and Seyolo still maintained
themselves in the ravines of the Keitkamma. Their
being enabled to hold out is attributed to their having
received reinforcements of many fresh men from Fundisi
and other branches of Umhala's people.
" Kreili, after his defeat at the Iravani, had been
coquetting with the missionary station at Butterworth,
desiring them to remain there in safety, &e., probably
with a view to making out a case in his own defence
should matters continue to go against
" Another account of the Commando against Kreili
and his aides state:=, that the Boers, &e., moved against
the Tembuts (Fambookies) in the upper part of the
Bolota, where Kreili, with a large force, met them; that
a brisk encounter ensued, when the colonial forces re-
trograded to the Irnvani neck before the vai.tly superior
numbers brought against them (stated to be more than
four to one); that they made a stand, and opened a tre-
mendous fire on the pursuing Amagalkas, who soon re-
treated in the utmost confusion, the allied forces of
Burghers and Britian charging them and carrying all
before them—even in their ardour getting complet,ly
within the Kafir ranks; that the Tumbooe stood their
ground much better, and continued to fight until the
victorious troops returned from the pursuit of the
Amagalekas and fell on thir rear, when they were dis-
persed, and fled in all directions. 18 petty chiefs have
been killed.
" It is stated that the Zula auxiliaries are not
coming."
The monthly summary of the Cape Monitor of the
2d of May says their last summary reported Sir
Harry Smith's return to King William's Town, ac-
companied by Colonel Mackinnon and the 2d division.
This expedition consisted of a series of movements
from the 18th to the 25th of March, among which
was the repulse of the enemy, about 2,000 strong,
on the 19th, and their flight into the Amatola
mountains.
To complete this account, on the 21st of March,
when the 2d division under Colonel Mackinnon
marched with his Excellency at daylight on Fort
Cox, and thence to Fort White, a detachment was
sent on to meet the enemy in full force, and a general
engagement commenced. The mounted levies behaved
well. The 73d and Gth turned the flank of the enemy,
who were routed.
On the 231 1,000 head of cattle were captured.
The British had four killed and six wounded. The
enemy lost a great many.
On the 24th, 25th, and 26th there was no move-
ment. On the 18th a patrol of 300 ravaged Seyolo's
country, destroyed from 30 to 40 liafirs, and returned
on the 30th to King William's Town with four men
wounded. The same day iroportaet information was
obtained from two Kafir Hottentot girls, in conse-
quence of which several Cape Mounted Rifles were
arrested.
On the 27th Major Somerset left Fort Hare with
e
who in the night were 1,200 men, attacked by the
enemy, who attempted, unsuccessfully, to turn their
flank, but were beaten at all points, and removed their
dead, unperceived, in the dark.
On the 31st all the passes of the Eland's berg were
scoured.
On the 29th of March a great number of Kat
River rebels and Cape Mounted deserters attacked
Messrs. Crouch's trading station. This act was com-
mitted with the connivance of Kreili, who had sent
messages to Pato and Umhala bidding them to join ;
they both declined, and this refusal has had its effect
on Kreili.
On the Bth of April Colonel Mackinnon's patrol, in
two columns, sought for cattle unsuccessfully in the
plains and tracks of the Buffalo.
On the 10th Kafirs and Hottentots attacked Fort
Brown, and carried off 200 head nreattle. It is said
they were lost through the treachery of a sentry.
On the 15th Colonel Mackinnon,,with 2,500 men,
including 100 Cape Mounted Rifles, left King Wil-
liam's Town for a patrol of six days, On the Mk
he divided into two columns. A skirmish ensued.
Ensign and Adjutant Fletcher, 73d, fell, and Cape
taro Morris, of the levies, was wounded. The
columns were several times attacked in the rear and
flank, but the enemy was always repulsed. At five
P.M. Colonel Eyre joined the right wing with 140
head of fat cattle. The day's loss was 1 officer, 1
sergeant, 4 rank and file. The enemy's loss is esti-
mated at 150 men.
The operations of the month hail) been confined to
patrolling, the enemy's cattle have been driven into the
Amatolas, and they are nowhere to, be seen in great
force. The succours from England will greatly
strengthen the Commander-in-Chief.
On the 28th of March, on the north-eastern fron-
tier, there was a successful engagement with the
' Chief Morosi. No casualty occurred on our side, and
the enemy left 200 dead on the field,
From the Tambookie country Ito account has also
been received of a victory gained by Captain Ty lden,
Royal Engineers, in which the enemy, 4,000 strong,
was put to flight, leaving'3oo dead on the field.
The Sir Robert Peel has a general cargo, including
ivory and gold dust.
During her voyage she spoke the Alice, bound for
the Cape, on 27th March, in let. 21, N., long. 23 W. ;
April 3, at Sierra Leone, found her i'llujety's ships
Cygnet, Dolphin, Volcano, Spy, and the steamer
Singapore. The S _meson and Dolphin arrived
during the stay of the Sir Robert Peel. On the 9th
of April, in lat. 25 N., long. 2.50 W., spoke her Ma-
jesty's ship Sampson ; on the 20th of April, in hit.
33.40 S., long. 17.10 E., spoke the Swedish brig
Christian, bound to the Cape; on the 27th, in Table
Bay, found her Majesty's ship Dee, the French na-
tional steamer Cassini, the Peninsular and Oriental
steamer Singapore, and the Malabar East Indiaman,
outward bound. The Dee sailed on the 29th to the