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

THE KAFIR WAR.

PLYMOUTH, WEDNESDAY, Nov. 5.
The General Steam Screw Shipping Conapany's
fine steam-ship Bosphorus, Captain J. V. Hall, ar-
rived here this morning, at nine o'clock, having made
a splendid passage of only 35 days. Her outward
dates were—from Plymouth, 15th of A ugust ; arrived
at St. Vincent's on the 2Gth, at 11.30, A ; left 27th
of Aug., at 5, r.m ; Sierra Leone, let of Sept., at
8, A.M. ; left at 8, r m. ; Cape of Good Hope, 23:1 of
Sept., at 6, A.m. Homeward dates—Left Ist of
Oct., at 1, A.M. ; touched at Sierra Leone on the
17t'n of Oct., at 1, ; St. Vincent's on the 22i,
at 1.30, A M. ; and arrived at Plymouth on the sth of
Nov., at 9, A.M.
The intelligence from the frontier is will more
alarming than that by the Birkenhead, the revolt and
disturbances having EprE ad from the mouth of the
Buffalo to Mosheth's country and the Basutos• An
aggravating feature in the last fatal attack on our
troops, by combined Hottentots and Kafirs, was the
employment by the former of fierce dogs, which
pulled down several of our troops and rendered them
an easy prey to the clubs of their enemies.
Captain Oldham and many men of the 2d Queen's
Regiment have been slain, and the 74th has lost some
men.
The severe losses of the British troops on the 9th of
September have induced the inhabitants of Graham's
Town to make a demonstration of their strength.
Accordingly, on the 18th a muster of the adult popu-
lation took place, and they formed a single line of
cavalry and a double line of infantry on the town
lands. On the 20th they were to muster again, to
elect officers, preparatory for an attack by the Kafirs.
They were in great want of artillaiy.:
Bread has risen 60_ per ee"'4

K. and

11.111.11V5,
The Bosphorus brings mails of importance, is
charge of Commander Woolridge. The bags will be
forwarded by the north mail-train, which leaves at

noon.
Passengers from the Cape—Mr. Maynard, Miss
Maynard, Miss E. Maynard, Miss F. Maynard, Mr.
Greig, Mr. 11. Greig, Mr. Twentyman, Mr. Bon'uote,
Miss Elliott and servant, Captain Byrne, Mr. and

Mrs. Knott and child.
The General Steam Screw Shipping Company's
mail-packet Sir Robert Peel, Captain Boxer, left the
Cape on the 24th of September, sir. days before the
Bosphorus, and sailed from St. Vincent's on the 21st
of October, one day before the Bosphorus. The Sir
Robert Peel is hourly expected at Plymouth.
The Bosphorus left at Cape St. Vincent the United
States brig-ef-war Perry, Commander Foote; the
Royal Mail steamer Teviot, from England ; the coal-
ships Cargey, Charlotte Whitmore, and Dolphin ;
Oct. 24, lat 19 29 N., long. 23,42, a ship, supposed to
be the Vernon, exchanged colours. Oct. 28, lat.
32.42, long. 18.28, the Europa and the Portuguese
clipper barque. Oct. 29, let. 35.20, long. 16.40, the
barque Bosphorus, bound to Pernambuco ; and a
Dutch ship, showing telegraph fig over red flag with
white square, and " S.C. in the centre. Oct. 30,
lat. 38 N., long. 14, the barque Glenbervie. Oct. 31,
lat. 39, N., long. 13, a Danish barque, steering south-
west, 6' 23" on white flag under ensign.
Commodore Wyvil and the Sidon were at Simon's
Bay. The Styx was in Table Bay. The Retribu-
tion and the Cyclops were gone to the Buffalo. The
Hermes was at Table Bay, preparing to sail with
levies for the Buffalo, whence she would proceed to
the Mauritius, and then, in all probability, join the
fleet on the East India station.
(From the Postscript to the Cape Royal Mail Monthly
Dispatch of Sept. 30.)
The only intelligence from the frontier, brought by
yesterday's post, is, that Colonel Eyro is appointed to
the command of the district of Albany, and was ex-
pected to fix his head-quarters near Governor's hop, a
central and commanding position, overlooking the Fish
River Bush and an extensive range of country, or at
Driver's Hill, near Committee's Drift. He would have
under him 400 infantry, and about 80 horsemen. Burnt
Kraal, near Graham's Town, had been again attacked by
about 40 Hottentots; twoEuropeanswere wounded, and 70
head of cattle carried off. Two liafirs were shot in an
attempt to drive off some oxen from a lager near Cuyler-

ville, Lower Albany.
In the Zuurberg the colonists have repulsed the Ka-
firs in several sharp actions, in which 34 of them were
killed, together with two of the Boers, and another
wounded. The farmers of Llitenhage, it is reported, are
willing to go to the front when called upon, having
nearly freed themselves from the presence of the enemy.
Major Somerset was collecting a force preparatory to
another attack on Macomo.
It is stated that Moshesh has suspended any hostile
movements against the hand ful of troops in the sovereignty
until he learns the result of an appeal to his Excellency
for inquiry and redress. This is quite in accordance
with his known wish to remain at peace with the British,
and is an example of forbearance which might perhaps
advantageously be followed elsewhere.
FISH RIVER PATROL. KING WILLIAM'S TOWN,
SEPT. 17.—We have just returned from our fatal patrol
to the Fish River Bush. The facts are so well known,
that I need not repeat them.. Never in my life did
anything so abet me as the sight of the brave men
of the 2d Queen's, wounded on the 9th instant;
their agony and groans would have pierced a
heart of stone; and all this suffering occasioned by a
lurking set of scoundrels, who will not come out and
give us fair play. I hope that Sir Harry will punish
these fellows for their murders ; but, from what I have
seen, many—very many—of as will yet bite the dust
before the war is over. The Kafirs, while in the bush,
fight like devils, but will not come out to face us.
Nothing can be done further, until more troops arrive to
enable us to attack them in sufficient force. From long
experience I am convinced that for a standup
fight
nothing in the shape of Kafirs is equal to the ijrnam-
% babi (lino's tribe); they convinced me of that in January,
3i when we were on patrol near the Iquibika, where we
lost poor Lieutenant Fletcher, of the 731 In our late
aff.ir9 from what I could see, the Kafirs and Hottentots
were not so numerous—but such a position, and so well
defended, we seldom meet with. Little blame can be
attributed to any. Colonel Mackinnon did all be could,
but the bush was really so dense, that once in, our
only care was to get out of it. Little hope is entertained
36 for the eight or ten poor fellows of the 21 Regiment,
that mi'sed their way, and were lost ; no doubt they
have fallen a sacrifice to the ruthless foe. What a
shocking idea to fall alive into the hands of such a foe!

Death, a thousand times, is preferable.
We brought with us to this place fifteen wounded,
thou, get over
left about twenty in hospital at Fort Peddle ; ten, who
(CC. died of their wounds were buried there. All the poor
fellows we brought with us will
their wounds, but fears are entertained it is thought,
for most of those
left behind. People here fancy they can read in his Ex-
cellency's countenance anything
but ?satisfaction at the
os
% present state of affairs. .I. hope it may be so. It is now
th expected that Kreli will throw off the mask, and Um-
;% hala spenly declare against us ; but a deal of suspicion
is and fear has obtained here respecting Faku's late move-
manta ; a few weeks will develop more than we can pos-
sibly guess at the present movement. Ono thing is cer-
tain, the Kafirs do not want peace, unless on their own
terms, yet."—Frontier Times.
)4 OLIPHANT'S HOER, SEPT. 15.—We have had beauti-
I% ful rains here, and all the " 'ley-se
are full. Our cattle
°d will soon improve; and as they willj not now have far 36 53 to go from the camp for food and water, it will not be so
2s. easy for the Kafirs to get off with any. Several houses
'
1, have been burnt lately—amongst them that of Messrs.
58 hinds. A few days ago, thirty-one oxen were taken
Od from Buys' Vley, the property of Messrs. B. and LE.
r Leech, with which the Kafirs got clear off. Assistance
Od was requested from this camp, and promptly rendered
by Commandant Woest. Our party rode on ahead and
" laid voor" on the eastern side of oJager's Drift the
whole night, in a drenching rain, but the Kafirs passed
by some other route.—Grahafmths
horses 9
chased in Cape Town, for the Lancers, were unfit for
, Cavalry Ilorses.—Many o e hurriedly pur-
Town by the Governor. Nonelshould have b. een sent that
frontier work, and were condemned at King William's
'i, Mr. Field will make their purchases in the country, they
;36 had been used to warm. stab es. A.s Major Hope and
' will, no doubt, get useful animals.

r from Sin-
30.—H. M. steamer Styx, G guns, Captain Hall, from
Plymouth 7th August, and Madeira 16th August, to
Simon's Bay. Brings a small mail.
Sin-
gapore tJuunley',bto Larquoend 343 tons, R. Brown,
on. (Argo sunaries. Put in for
water, &o.
30.—Shark, schooner, 137 tons, S. Toovey, from Rio
6th September, to this port, Cargo coffee. Brings a
few letters.

WALTON Mild BUSUELL, Agents.

The Cape Monitor of the Ist of October has the
34 following interesting summary of the operations on
the frontier :
"Since our last summary of the state of the war,
prior to the departure of Birkenhead, nothing do-
has
has been e
effected.
The dispersed guerilla parties
of the Kafira and their rebel allies had alarmed the fron-
tier districts of Cradock, Somerset, and Albany. The
farmers everywhere mustered in self-defence, and be-
haved gallantly. On the disappearance of the enemy
from Albany Colonel Eyre returned to head-quarters.
The ad Regiment lost no time in taking the field,
under
their gallant colonel. Their ardour was worthy of a
nobler foe. Being new-comers and unacquainted ,with
the country, they were attacked in the most determined
manner. The result was such as might av
anticipated. Though every bush had bu transmuted
e been
into a swarm of Kafirs, and though every thorn had
become an assegai, yet little loss of life would have
ensued but for the lamentable desertion of the Cape
Hottentots, onr former spoiled pets, many of them
trained marksmen. The :castrilties on the part of the
2d Regiment hare been unusually numerous, not
without, however, the infliction of a mere pana.