The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-14 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRID

The following erl7.eare.: it our Third 11.diiion of

THE KAFIR WAIL

SUCCESS Or T11:] BRl.Tisa

Kafiri; ware found. Ten o our Fingeea were
alao - wounded, all of whom I think will re-
cover. A tunic bravo se-A of f,-.11c)7,,s the F:rigoes are.
They t;tDed their ground flmously. 0;:e came matting
4? to nip f:r ammunitian, exhanstetl, having
::pent all ha had. I gave Um what I could spare—some
to rounc:,;—anit off he went to tvsi:t in the fight. For-
tunately no white people wore hurt. I tiltoulcl =ay that
feast from 3,000 t, 1 000 Kafir3 attacked the place.
The enemy got littla by it. Snails were thrown com-
pletely over the town from the fort. Such a day I
never before witnessed. Assistance we want much,
but there, eems but little chance getting auy at pre-
We expect that the cattle will be again attacked
to'night."

"_Alice,_ Jan. 23, 2 o'clock P.M.

" With gun in hand I shall endeav,ur to explain our
orpsent position to you. News bat just cone in that the
Kafirs are lying in four • divisions at our rear with
the full determination of taking Alics or the
Fort. I do not mention this as certain to take
place. You m.y judge from the following cir-
cum itances that sc me t hing severe is expected.
Every roan able to bear. arms, &c., hal jai: been stlrved
with e,7i addit'i}nal quantity of ammunition. All the
cattle are now brought in under the protection of the
fort guns. In fact everything i 3 in readiness. to rely-4
any attack they make. Should they once commence in
writ ight earnes', Alice I fear will go. Vr.rious rumours
have been sent, in, from the enemy that, they will have
something before they have done..
A. Fingo arrived here last evening (22a) from Fort
Armstrong, stating that the NAN came down upon the
fort. When the Hottentots saw them, they came out
and shook hands with them... As soon as the English
saw this they made for the tower. This waythe posi-
Lion of aifairs when the Finge left to come here. The
Pingo states that the party who retired to the tower
had no water."

" Alice, 24th Jan. 1851.
" The day after the fight.. here, a party went out to
examine the ground upon which the fight took place.
The result was that seventy-three bodies were to be
seen.. Yesterday the vultures were about the neighbour-
hood in hundreds, and even while I am now writing,
they are to be seen picking away at the bodies not de-
voured yesterday. There must have been a great num-
ber killed, because the birds seemed busy for miles
away, and when the main body of Kafirs commenced
retreating, vultures were seen to follow it, just as they
do when you are engaged at spring buck shooting.
" I hear that on the day of the fight one of the Kafir
policemen who deserted us, rode up to one of the Cape
Corps, off-. Ting his gins and wishing to give himself
up,but.before he could look round a doaen of the
Fingoes' assegais were whipped into him, and he
was soon laid a lifeless corpse. • • •
The two Kafir policemen who were sent with an
express t). King William's Town about eight -days
since have not yet returned. It is supposed that
they have either been kil!ed or gone over to the enemy.
We hear nothing from Fort Cox direct—all communica-
tion with that place is still cut off. . . The Fort
Armstrong people are regularly besieged. Report says
from thence that they are hemmed in, and have been
obliged to fly to the tower for safety. The Hottentots in
that neighbourhood won't fight. They seem to say that
they will "sit still." . . I dare say in the course of
a day or two we shall get further information from that
quarter., Wienand wrote for assistance, but the General
is unable to render any—we have had hard enough work
to defend ourselves. If we had had a superior force the
other day, a great many Kafirs, who had spread them-
selves about the outskirts of
,the town, endeavouring to
get away the Fingoes' cattle, might hive been cut off ;
but as it was, none could with safety be detached from

the main body."
Accounts from head-quarters are up to the 21st ins
On the 20th, the Hermes and the Dee had arrived a'
East London with 1,260 men, and the Phcenix was ex
peeled to reach that port on the 21st. It was understood
that his Excellency would move to relieve the beseiged
forts as soon as Captain Davies' levy reached him. This
officer had passed Fort Peddle without accident, and in-
tended proceeding by Wesleyville, and not Line Drift.
An express, carrying dispatches from the Governor,
that should have reached town on Tuesday last, has
bean cut off, it is supposed by Seyolo's Kafirs.
FORT PEDDIE.
The following brings affairs at this place up to the
24th inst.:—
Since my last communication to you of the 17th ult.,
the following events have taken place up here.
Saturday, IStb, Half-past Ten P.X. at Night.—The
Fingo Chief Kaulala's kraal was attacked by a strong
party of mounted and foot Kafirs, and about 220 head of
cattle take n.
Sunday, 19114—A strong party of Kafirs seen
(mounted) close to D'Urban Missionary Station, Ksven-
ItSvezi's location, attempting to capture the Fingoes' cattle
on their way to the kraals.
_The Fingoes turned out and
gave batty. Three Fingoes wounded; one died during
the night. One Kafir wounded, 2 blankets, some pouches,
and a few :rounds of ammunition captured.
21st—Captain Walsh arrived with 130 men, Hottentot
levy, at half-past eleven o'clock P.M.. at night. Seven
shots fired,, close by the post. A rocket was discharged
in the dissection of the shots, which started eight Kafirs
out. The, same morning heavy firing was heard in the
direction ef Fort Hare.
23d—E:epress arrived from General Somerset with
dispatchea for the Governor, stating that Fort. Hare had
been attacked. Dispaches forwarded on by two Kafirs,
late of tbs Kafir Police; both men intercepted by the
Kafirs, and the dispatches and ono man taken; one made
his escape back to Peddle slightly wounded. Also dur-
ing the ni iht two Fingoes got shot at their kraals being
mistaken 1: y their comrades for I{.,firs.
(From the Cape Frontier. Times of Jan. 21.)
Since t. tae defeat and death of the traitor Hermanus,
at Fort Beaufort, on the morning of the 7th instant,
there has been no aggressive movement on the part of
the enem p either in British Kafraria or within the
limits oft le colony. His Excellency, it is well understood,
is consent s.tting as large a force as he can muster at head-
quarters, to assail the enemy. In the mean time, the
Kafirs, it is supposed, are closely watching his proceed-
ings, and es ill probably make a desperate effort to inter-
cept the sup plies which must in a short time be sent to
the two posts, Fort. Cox and Fort White, with which all
communication has been cut off for some weeks. If
they should be unsuccessful in this attempt, and his
Excellency shaould be sufficiently re-inforced to be able
to follow up zany success by vigorous severity, they will
in all probability overrun the colony. Their first rush
will be tremendous, and will be withstood only by the most
populous towns. and the largest fortified camps. Looking
then to this o bvious probability, it is earnestly and.
anxiously recommended that all the small lagers that
may exist throughout the country should be at once
abandoned, aad that all preparations be completed
without delay in every town and village to repel the
enemy, for in the present state of affairs no man resid-
ing in any of tine border districts can count upon his
safety for a sir gle day.
The presenn: war is not a cattle war. With the ex-
ception of the hostilities committed on the colony by
the Blinkwater rebels, the war has been principally with
the troops in Bt itish Kafraria. 'Dile war has evidently
bet n the result c )f a. long considered and extensive conspi-
racy between tlee Kafirs in Kafraria, and their country -
men, and variotro coloured classes iu the colony, and its
object is to west reninate the white man. It is a war of
race.. The struggle will be fearful, and blood will
flow as water. , But the issue cannot be doubted; al-
though the horrors of the contest could be
much mitigate I, its duration much shortened, and
its devastating ruin and dreadful remits confined to. a
comparatively narrow space, if the inhabitants of the
colony who 'are at present remote from the seat
of tianeer,
,promptly responded to the call of
honour and of duty ; and, making common cause
and sharing the common danger with their more
exposed fellow-colonists, joined the front ranks of colo-
niel defenders, and thus became the instruments under a
righteous cod, of inflicting a summary and signal retri-
bution oneeho barbarous and formidable savages who are
now three ;ening to tear out the heart of the colony.
PORT ELIZABETH.
The M ercury states that when the Kafir convicts from
the Zuely erg station arrived at the Zwaartkops River the
heat was so extensive that two of them "died in exces-
sive eager mess to quench their thirst." They have been
shipped tl Jr the Cape.
The s reamer Phasaix has art ive3, bringing 50 mules,
seine we e.goos,, ammunition, meal, and other stores, with
a large i a nouns of specie fur the use of the forces.
Five ii:fsfirs belonging to Sandilli, in the employment
of Mi'. Isait iter, have been apprehended and sent to Purt
Elizabeth , -they having been insolent to their master
and iutec..dilig to eteal his cattle.
(P. E. Mercury, Jan. 11.)
A geneval muster of the Port Elizthetli Corps took
place on NV;etluesclay afternoon. Upw cods of 800 men
were preser t. The whole scene was of a very animated
kind, and . tirhough unaccustomed' to military exercise,
they p: esee red a formidable appearance.
A comp. it y of Omit 80 men from flunkey and Kruis
Fonteia, e,xriv. d at Uitenhage on Wednesday morning,
under the comm and of Rutger Metelerkamp. These men
do not come out t, n the terms of the Governor's proclama-
tion resps cling Hottentot Levies, and decline the bounty,
but come out as in former. Kafir wars as commanded by the
Civil Coramissioner, and the promise of receiving 6d. a
day, and rations for themselves and families. The reason
for declining the bounty is to .give them the choice of
their own officers, aid to enable them to remain together
as one company. Their separation from one another is
one of the greatest grievances tlaey allege as to the former
Kafir war. •
A Fingo arrived in Port Elizabeth last night, who re-
ports that while proceeding thr.eugh the Addo Bush, ho
was stopped by some Lafirs, who asked him what he was.
He ina,nageid to pass himself off as an Amatembu Kafir.
They told him that the Addo Bash was full of Kafirs, and
on his expressing his doubts as to the truth of the state-
ment, they invited him to go in and see, telling him
they would give him some hos (food). The Fingo fear-
ing a recognition of his race I,y some of the Kafirs in
the Bush, refused, and continue a his route to the Bay.
The Kafirs told him that those in the Ado are only
waiting for the Englishmen to go into Kafirland and
begin operations.

Qt taggas Flat, Bth Jan..
" The Kafirs are all around \ us. They have taken
five horses—two belonging to yomself and one to me;
and yesterday ninety head of cattle were taken
from the Field•cornet while going to the Bushman's
River to drink ; the herd . eas murdered. A
Kafir came to buy some brettd and meat—be
seems to be ono of the party. for he could give no
account of himself,—l now send him to the Bay by your
two men. A fine rain is falling, and ss soon to it abates
we shall endeavour to trace the spoor of eight mounted
Kafirs we saw yesterday. Three hor: deg aro deficient."
On Wednesday evening the news, reached Uttenhage
that a patrol of 17 Briers and, 10 ilottentots had fallen
in with a party of Kafirs, who had stolen some cattle at
Kragakamma, in the Zuurberg. Jau Lange's horse was
shot under him. The party r eturnod to camp,
bringing with them the bucks and eg me horses, but were

obliged to relinquish the cattle. They say that there
were b 1033. spoors. A party of Bucrs from Garotoos
about ,30 in xrainb.-1., were onicred to leave
(lite:II-lap on Tnurid4y to join the camp at Sul:da.ys
River.
A correzpndont of the Mail recommends the uze of
stout t.words for bush fighting, and o&rs the f9llo4iing

suege-,thsis:—
.• hind grenadoe seem unseceuntably to have fallen
into disuse; but I have „o: the le ash do iet they might he
most advantegeeusly employed in keeping oar swarthy
foes at a greater distance from the line of march in
bushy and rocky places. Some grenadiers might be
speedily trained, and a few attached to each company of
foot.
" What ohleetion can their be to the formation of a
Rocket Carps?" No ordnance are required for their
projectiOn (for the rocket itself contains the propelling
power). Tay). e.ppeur to be well adapted for the pre-
sent purpOse. •peenders armed with grenades, 6-
.peunders with '31,1e. shut or shell, or even much lighter
roeketsewould prove serviceable.
A two pound hand grerode contains four or five
ounces of powder, and the bursting OF a few of these
occasionally amongst the neighbouring bushes would
greatly astonish our Geika friends, throw a little more
light, en their proceedings, and render the bush rather
too -warm for them- The thing is easily to be done,
the eepense trifling, the probable advantage great."
The Mail states that frem 800 to 1,000 men may
be expee!ed far.' frontier duty frcim th© threelloravian
Missionary staeons of Groeneklaof, Genadendal, and
Elitn.
Dr. Eveleigh, of Riveredale:gieee a gratifying account
of the alacrity shown by thepeople of that piece to assist
in the general defence. Writing to the Shipping Gazette, he,
sayse'that the district will furnish 120 coloured volunteers,
and he thinks that nearly 100 farmers are ready to go as
soon as orders arrive. I have not. yet seen one who is
unwilling to go, if needftil; 'but many whO are willing
are quite incapable of service, from various causes. The
ladies and children are hard at work, making such clothes
as are required for the recruits, and which could not be pro-
cured in the shOps. Horses and waggons are ready to convey
the recruits to Mossel Bay, whence the steamer will most
likely convey them to Port Frances, or where they are
most required. Captain Rainier has travelled no less
than 450 miles in the six days, and will now drill the
men every day till they leave.
(From the Commercial Advertiser, Jan. 8.)
Sir Andries Stockenstrom returned on Monday even-
ing to Wynberg, from his lengthened trip to the country.
The lamentable outbreak of ,the Kafirs had been fully
expected by the colonists on the border, but the reality
of the misfortunes of the frontier did not make
itself fully known until nearly the close of his
journey. . . . Mach alacrity has
been shown by. the Hottentots of the several
mission stations to answer the appeal of the Govern-
ment. Nearly 300 altogether have already volunteered.
These' men go on a bounty of 21., and 61. per diem,
with rations for their families; no great inducement, if
taken apart from the sense of duty which is believed to
actuate them, and which will be found, it is fervently
hoped, to influence every class and every individual in
the colony.
The enlistment at the castle proceeds but slowly.
Perhaps the place of enlistment for town's people, or
persons influenced by the town's people, has been un-
happily chosen. There is a prejudice against tho
castle and all belongs to it, against military enlistment,
in faCt, altogether.
(From the Cape Town Mail, Jan. 18.)'
The recent intelligence from the frontier is in a high
degree reeassuring. On the 3d of this month a strong
force of Kifirs, led by several chiefs,—among whom
were two of Sandilli's brothers,—attacked Fort
White. They were received by the garrison, under
Captain Mansergh, with a steady and well-directed
fire, which struck down a great number • of them.
Twenty of the killed were left around the post. On the
morning of the 7th, the rebel chief Hermanus, with his
horde of Kafirs, and the Hottentots wham he had se-
duced or compelled to accompany him, assaulted Fort
Beaufort. The attack was repulsed by the troops,
burghers, and Fingces, who constituted the garrison of
the town; the chief himself was shot, his son and num-
bers of people were killed, and his band completely
routed and scattered.
It is said—and the information appears to have come
through channels which have heretofore proved trust-
worthy—that the hostile Kafira are greatly discouraged
by these defeats, that they accuse their prophet of hav-
ing deceived and misled them, and that the fidelity of
the T'Slambies, who were wavering, had been completely
assured.
Other circumstances combine to lead to the belief
that the war is likely to be as promptly and successfully
concluded as it was suddenly and disastrously begun.
The Governor will shortly be in a position to resume
offensive operations. Ho has now with him
at King Willam's Town a regular force of
about 800 men. The three steamers will, in a few days,
add to this number about sixteen hundred volunteers;
and in three or four weeks hence Sir Harry will pro-
bably find himself at the head of a well-appointed and
most efficient force of more than three thousand men.
These will constitute only one division of the army.
General Somerset will, 'in all probability, have by that
time another division, of about the same strength, com-
posed also of regular troops, burghers, and Hottentot
levies. With these, and with such of the gar-
risons in the various forts as will then be dispo-
sable, Sir Harry will have an army of not less than
7,000 men, ready for field operations, and in a state of
thorough efficiency. If with 'such a force, and the ad-
vantage of his own local experience. he is not able to
sweep the Amatolas, to annihilate all opposition, and
to dictate his own terms to the whole population
of British Kafraria, and the surrounding territory, then
the' sooner he evacuates that province, and resigns the
baton of command to an abler hand, the better for him-
self and the colony. But we have no doubt of his speedy
and triumphant success.
HERNIANUS AND THE HOTTENTOTS.
(Extracts from a Letter in the Graham's Town Journal.)
Hermsnus. and his followers attacked Fort Beaufort
yesterday mornieg, but were repulsed with great
slaughter, with a loss of about two hundred killed
and several wounded. Several llottentots, who bad
been induced to join Herinanus, have been shot and
taken prisoners. Hermanus was amongst the first who
Tell in the action, and the Fingoes dragged him up to the
market-place. This will be a check upon the disaffected,
and will induce the wavering to join the British. Several
Hottentots were compelled to join in the war, and may
be partially excused on the plea of intimidation ; but
others refused to fight against the colony,
by Hernsanue' order and kept as prisoners, to be dealt
with on his return home." and were seized
The following names have bean furnished to us amongst
those who brayed the, vengeance of the rebel chief;
rather than join him in his career of murder and ra-
pine:—Sergt. Bell, Sergt. Cesar, Sergt. Zealand, Sergt.
John Brander, Sergt. Erasmus, Sergt. Jepps. All these
men had served in the Cape Corps, and had retired from
the service with honour—and with an annual pension from
the Government. Sergeant Jepps was distinguished for
his bravery, and was a great favourite, as every brave
man is, with Sir Harry Smith. Lie, unfortunately, fell
into the hands of the Kafirs on the Konap Hill, and was
put to death by them.
CONFLICT AT S eiLE i.
(From the Graham's Town Journal.)
SATURDAY.—Litelli&nce has come in this morning
brought by a Fit:gee. who travelled on foot during the
night, of a sharp conflict between a patrol of the Salem
inhabitants, and a strong body of Kafirs in the vicinity
of that village, in which, we deeply regret to
say, an intrepid young man, named Frederick
Short, arid a Fingo were killed, and another young
Albany settler, eamsd George Dennison, severely
wounded. It appears that the Salem patrol, consisting
of only nine mounted men, while out yesterday after-
noon, observed the trail of Kafirs, which they tollowed
until it led them into a dense bush, in which
the enemy computed at fifty in number, had
sought cene
cealment, end most probably
were witing to re-
ceive them. From the santiness ofd the
's, sa infove rmatiothat
n,
we are, unable to furnish any etail
Short • • Was shot through the back, and that
Dennison was severely wounded in the superior part
of the arm. The Fingo was shot through the bead. We
infer that the Kafirs must have been beaten, and driven
off, as the messenger states that the wounded man was
brought in, together with the arms and ammunition of
those who fell. A party of voluoteers have gone out to
escort the wounded man to Graheru'e To:wn.
GENERAL ORDERS.
Heed quarters, King William'a Tow u, Jan. 9,1851. .
1. Captain Fitzbourne, R.N., having beets good enough
to lend au officer and 30 men, ste"mer Heenewe
with two guns, to aid in working the surf boats and in
defending the depot, Captain Stanton, conetnanding Fort
Glamorgan, will authorize the usual issue of rations to
this party, and will in every respect provide, for them.
2. The Commander in-Chief has this day received a
report that upon the morning of the 3rd instant Fort
White was attacked in force by the Kafirs, in four
bodies. They
approached steadily, the garrison re-
serving its fire, when the Kafirs were driven back with
great loss, leaving twenty killd around the
poet, and carrying .off a considerable number
of wounded. His Excellency congratulates Captain
Mansergh and his intrepid garrison upon the glorious
result which attended the improved defences he had con-
structed, and which were so gloriously and gallantly
defended by his officers and soldiers, who had only one
man slightly wounded.
By Command,
11. L. 'AIAYDWELL. Mil. Secretary.
(From the Cape Colonist.)
Extract of 'a letter dated Alice, sth January, 1851:
" A report has just come from Fort White, stating that
the Kafirs made a deepera,te atteek on that place, rush-
ing with karosses over their heads right up to the very
walls of the fort—their dead bodies are now lying in
heaps all around."
PROCLAMATION
By his Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir Henry George
Wakelyn Smith, Bart., &c., &c.
Whereas the Kafir Chief Hermanus did receive a
large grant of territory upon the Blinkwater from
the then Governor Major-General Sir Benjamin D'Ur-
ban, and which he occupied for many years upon the
condition of the good faith and amity ; and whereas
this location has ever been a nest of thieves and
vagabonds; and whereas the Kafir chief Hermanus did
revolt, and by every unlaw
war ful means colrlec Mtajes cons
-
siderable force to make upo hety'
peaceable subjects, and did upon the morning
of the 7th of January attack the town of Fort
Beaufort, on which occasion he was most fortunately
slain in the square of that to en, and his people beaten
back and pursued with great slaughter; I do hereby pro-
claim, declare, and make known, that this grout of land
does by these acts revert to the Crown, and that the
successors of Hermanus, and all their rebellious people,
are for ever expelled the limits of the colony, and (01
men of this wicked location, if seen within the colony,
are to be regarded as enemies and dealt with accordingly .