The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-19 00:00:00

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

(From the Cape Town Mail of Jan. 27.)
From Natal we have news of rather an exf..itin(4
cl,aracter, in correqueuce of the disturbances among
the Zulus. These disturbances were caused by a
contest between Kechwya and Umbulazi, two sons
of the paramount Chief Panda. On the 2d Dee•
the latter was defeated with immense slaughter.
The victorious Kechwya, a lad of 19, after the bat-
tle, divided his army into three sections, and with
these scoured the country in all 41irections, putting
to death not only his enemies, but also all neutral
or doubtful subjects who came in his way. get
however, kept clear of the immediate vicinity of
Panda, who, by the latest intelligence, was raising
an army in defence of his throne. It is said that
the number of persons slaughtered by the victors,
must have been upwards of 30,000. Umbulazi was
put to death with the utmost barbarity, having
been skinned alive.

The export of wool is daily increasing. Further
improvements in the breed of the Cape Marino
sheep have lately been made by the introduction
of Saxony and German rains. The Angora goat
has also been introduced.
The Vulcan has arrived with the bead-quarters •
of the German Legion, and General the Baron s'oll
Stutterbeim, who has been severely injured in the,
arm by the bite of a bulldog, which he purchased
from Sir Sir Harry Smith before leaving England.
The first detachment of the German Legions
consisting of 654 men, with 6 women, and 9 chil-
dren, arrived in Table Bay on the 29th Dec., by
the Sultana. The Culloden, with a second detach-
ment, arrived on the Ist January. The third
detachment arrived in the Stamboul, on the Atla
January.
Extract of a letter from Fort Beaufort, dated
Jau. 16 :—" Intelligence has just been received
from Kaffirland of the result of the great meeting
of Kaffu's in the Amalgaleka country, which has
been looked forward to with great interest, not to -
say anxiety. I am. glad to say that the intelligence
upon the whole, very favourable—that is, so far
as affects the question of peace or war. The meet-
ing, I am told, was a very large one though veil
deficient as respects the number of chiefs who were
expected to be present on the occasion. Kra' ,
was, however, there, and it would seem not in a
verrcomfortable mood. The wild extravagances
of the Prophet, who had been stimulated and pro.
tected by him, had become so gross, as well as rine.
-chievous, that even the most credulous of his dupes
began to have misgivings on the subject, and to
call in question his claim to their further credence.
This feeling led to a sharp cross-examination of the
chief by the assembled Kaffirs, and he found it
extremely difficult to parry the many hits made at
him ; the meeting soon got rather tumultuous and
broke up in unpleasant disorder. The chief was
greatly disconcerted and took the matter so much
to heart that on his way home he attempted, it is
said, to do himself fatal injury. So extravagant
was his conduct, that his followers were obliged to
interfere to disarm and place him under control. It
is now said that the slaughter of cattle is sus,pende"
to a large extent, and that the influence of the prophet. •1
is dimiuishing daily. On the other band, it is affiruieti
that the prophet has only changed his course of ,
procedure. That his r word' now is that the Kam
are to cease dealing with the Fiugoes for Kaffir
corn and mealies, but are to use for their ordinal'
diet wheaten meal, sugar, and rice. lam assured
that so potential is this 'word,' that the trade hi'
therto carried on with great profit by the Fingoea
has suddenly ceased, and that every Kaffir that.
has the means is obtaining the articles I have
specified. Many, however, are quite destitute,
and I am told that, having killed their last head
of cattle, and divested themselves of every goat,
they are now killing their cats 1 Want is staring
them in the face, and must ere long make them
fully sensible of the stupidity of which they have
been guilty. Amongst the best informed persons
war is not thought to be immanent. There is more
prospect of internal commotious in Kaffirland than
in the colony, and there is reason to hope, that by
the continued exercise of that prudence which l
been hitherto observed, that the existing alarms
will die out, and our farmers be enabled to purse!
their avocations without disturbance. At presen'
the
they are much annoyed and excited by
latitude which has lately been given to the
natives to roam as they please about the coun-
try. Current report says that all this originates in
an opinion of the Attorney-General overlooking aP,a; ,
patently the fact that the frontier districts are still
under martial law, and have been kept so, for
the express purpose of checking that vagrancY
which is the cause of so much irritation, as well as
not unfrequently of serious disturbance. The lati-
tude now given is alike injurious to the frontier
farmer and to the native, and call loudly for the
application of a prevalent and effectual remedy."