The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-03-01 00:00:00

THE KAFFIR WAR.

SERIOUS- LOSS OF LIFE.-ARRIVAL .0? THE
INDIANA.

By the steam-ship Indiana, which arrived at Plymouth
on Saturday, we have advices from Cape Town to the
24th of january, thirty-nine days later than those by the
Lady Jocelyn, which left on the 16th December, and
reached Plymouth on the 24th January.
General Cathcart, with 2000 men, had then enterod the
Orango-River Sovereignty, to settle disputes between the
powerful Basuta chief, Moshesh, and the Sovereignty
farmers, on the subject of plundered cattle. Assistant-
commissioners Hogge and Owen had previously investi-
gated the whole ease, and decided that certain fines
should be paid by delinquents of all classes and com-
plexion. The fine imposed on Moshash was never paid,
and Ger,. Cathcart, under date Dec.. 13, demanded of
that chief, within three days, 10,000• head of cattle and
11300 horses, and, in default. threat tined to take them
himself,, or make reprisals. Moshesh came into the camp
the next day, and had a " parley"' with the Governor.
On the 18th Moshesh's son, Nehemiah, came in with
3500 head of cattle. On the 19th,,n0 more cattle appear-
ing, Lieut.-Colonel Eyre, with the cavalry brigade, two
guns, and one brigade of infantry;_ encamped on the Upper
Caledon Waggon Drift, leading to Molitsani's country.
On the 20th this force, accompanied by his Excellency in
person, marched at daylight in three columns.

The fence consisted of detachment of 12th Lancers,
under Lieutenant Clough ; a demi-brigade of 12-pounder
howitzers, under Captain Robinson, R... 1. • two compa-
nies of the 43rd regiment, under Major Phillips;, and a
detachment of Cape Mounted Rill s, under Ensign
Rorke.

According to Colonel Cloete's official despatch, the
Basutos, to defend their vast droves of cattle, first fired
on him and Captain Tylden. An attempt at parley by
the Governor was answered by a shot, when two rounds
of shrapnel caused the enemy to fly from the southern
angle of the Berea towards Thaba Bossigo. The despatch
proceeds

" The infantry,. strengthened by a company of the 43rd
regiment, under Captain the Hon. Percy Herbert, were
now brought up, and the columns advanced, crossed the
deep mountain stream ' Rietspruit,' and were posted on a
commanding knoll at its junction with the Little Caledon
River, on the Thaba Bossigo plains, covering the ap-
proaches by which Lieut.-Colonel Eyre and Lieut.-Colonel
Napier's columns were to join. While in this position,
the enemy were collecting in fresh patches of horsemen
in all directions. Those approaching within distance
were driven back. On the clearing away of a thun-
der-storm and rain, the enemy suddenly displayed his
whole force. Masses of horsemen were observed to
move from the Thaba Bossigo Poort, to turn the General's
right, while large bodies extended along the front. These
movements were conducted with the utmost order and
regularity. Lieut.-Colonel Eyre's division joined at five
p.m., with 1,500 head of cattle, which it was necessary to
secure, for which purpose some kraals in a commanding
position were ordered to be occupied. The enemy, who
had now mustered not less than 6,000 horsemen, made
every effort to assail the troops moving into their bivouac,
repeating their attacks on front and rear, but were
repulsed by the troops. The demi-battery, by a round
of canister, silenced the enemy's fire, which had been kept
up till eight p.m., when they disappeared from the field,
having suffered severely."
Lieut.-Colonel G. Napier states his force to have been
—l2 Lancers, 114 rank and file, under Major Tottenham ;
Cape Mounted Rifles, 119, under Major Somerset, and
says, " Having collected a great number of cattle, I com-
menced driving them down the north-east side of the Be-
rea mountains ; when half way down, 700 mounted men
attacked the rear, who retired. On the open ground the
Lancers charged, and the enemy fled. Near the drift, on
the Caledon, a large body of mounted Caffres were re-
pulsed by the Minis rifles of the 75th Ilighlanders,
under Captain Bruce."

•
In this contest, begun early in the morning' of the 20th
of December, and not closed until 8 p.m., 6,000 mounted
Caffres are said to have been mined, At the close, Col,

Eyre had secured 1,510 and Colonel Napier 3,000 head of
cattle.

The casualities on the part of the British were very
severe. Killed—Captain Famice, 73rd, and 2 privates ;
12th Lancers, 4 non-commissioned officers and 23 pri-
vates ; Rifles, 3 privates ; and 5 Cape Mounted Rifles.
Wounded-2 officers, 4 noncommissioned officers, and
9 privates. Total—kiled, 38: wounded, 15.
This great sacrifice seems, however, to have secured the
submission of Moshesl, who, the next day, the 21st of
December, sent to thecamp the following letter :

Thaba Bosigo, Dec. 20th, 1852.
" Your Excellency,—This day you have fought against
my people, and taken much cattle. As the object for
which you have come s to have a compensation for boers,
I beg you will be satisied with what you have taken. I
entreat peace from yon ; you have shown your power, you
have chastised,—let it be enough I pray you, and let me
no longer be considend an enemy of the Queen. I will
try all I can to keep try people in order in the future.

. .
" Your humble servant,
" MOSHESH."

Although the Goverior has received the submission of
Moshesh, he has recommended the Sovereignty farmers
to organize themselves on the commando system, to pur-
sue the cattle lifters, aid, if necessary, to kill them. The
result of this proclamaion isnot yet known ; it is expect-
ed to be successful. lot a meeting of resident househol-
ders was held at Bloon Fontein, on the 4th of January,
when the unsatisfactory condition of the Sovereignty was
considered, and a petiion to the Queen in Council, or
Parliament, resolved 01.

In the course of thovoyage the Indiana has spoken or
signalised the followin, vessels :—Jan. 13. in lat 28, long.
43 E., the barque Figao, from Amoy to Havannah ; Jan.
18, off Cape Receife, pissed the British barque Frederick
Huth, from Macao, iowards Table Bay, out 70 days%
Jan. 20, off Cape Aguhas, the barque Albert Edward,
from Calcutta to Liverpol, with loss of jibboom and top-
gallantmasts, having bean in collision with the Australia ;
Feb. 4, off Ascension, the ship Francis Henty, from Aus-
tralia and Cape ; Feb. 8, in lat. 5 51 1., long. 17 25 W.,
the John Ritson, from Bremen for the Cape. out 60 days ;
10, in lat. 11, N., long., 21 IX., the barque Sultan, from
London ; 17, in lat. 23 N., lotg. 23 W., the barque Gib-
son Craig, and the schooner SOrit ; on the 20th, (Sunday
last,) off Madeira, the screw-steamship Queen of the
South, with the outward mails—all well; any the 21st, in
lat. 37 N., long. Tip W., the bariLue Ensign.

The screw-steamer Formosa eas at Point de Galle, on
her way to Singapore from Austlida, when the Indiana
left. Her engines having brokendown, she would be de-
tained some weeks. The screw- teanter Calcutta arrived
at Mauritius on the 11th December, and left on the 19th.
The Nile, Nisbet, arrived at Madras on the 22d Diec. She
had been on shore at Waltair Poirt, near Vizipatam, but
providentially got off agaitl; and lad apparently scatained
no damage.
The Sydney steam-ship;- with the homeward mails
from Australia, had not arrived at he Cape when the in-
diens left. She was looked' for 'cry anxiously, ao she
'was long overdue. The Adelaide, vith the outward mails
fotrthe Cape and Australia, of whom detention we heard
by the Severn, was kept at St.,"inent 17 days before she
cord& get sufficient coal to proceed at her voyage.

AMERICA,

ARRIVAL OF THE ANDES' .AND AFRICA.

The' screw steam-ship Andes, Caitain Hutchings, ar-
rived on Tuesday night, with advise,. frona New York to
the Sth ;:and the Africa arrived eat), on Wednesday,
with advices to the 9th. She "Orrught $'200,000 on
freight. The Senate, on the ith, resitned the debate on
the Monroe doctrine. After one or tvo speeches it was
again postponed. A message from the President on the
present state of the negotiation belween the Uni,ed
States and'Great Britain respecting theisheries had been
laid before the house. England is wiring, except in the
case of Newfoundland, that the Antertan and colonial
fishermen shalt enjoy the same privileges, so far as regards
the right tcvtake,. cure, and dispose of lilt in the waters,
on the banks-, and in the markets of boa. countries. The
negotiations, for reciprocity in trade with Canada are said
not to be in -Iv sufficient state of forwaidness to warrant
the belief that they would be presented to the Congress
during the •,-,rsvent session. A letter frem.British Hon-
duras confirms- the report that the State cf Honduras has
taken possession of the English settlentnt at Limas.
They have appointed a commandant, ant declared that
the State of Honduras will, at all hazards and every sa-
crifice, continue to hold the territory.

ARRIVAL 07P THE FRANKLI:

The United States moil steam-ship Franklin arrived off
Cowes on Friday, with advices from Nev York to the
12th ult., and 48500,000 in specie for Have. The com-
mittee on foreign relations had reported that the en-
' eroachments of British settlers in Central America, either
with or without the consent of their government, is a
matter for adjudication between England and those states ;
but that any attempt of the former power to extend its
possessions in that region would be a direst violation of
treaty sitipulations with this country. Tte exercise of
actual dominion by Great Britain in that portion of
America would also be a question to which this Govern-
ment car, never be indifferent. Upon the Waole, the com-
mittee consider it unnecessary to adopt any measures with
regard tt, the carrying out of the Claytol and Bulwer
treaty. The House of Representatives committee on the
question of reciprocity with the British Ncrth American
provinces had reported strongly in favour of that prin-
ciple. A. deices had been received from California to the
15th Jan. The Ohio was on the voyage to New' York
with a million and a-half of gold dust on freight- There
was much distress at-the diggings, owing to the continued
Hoods. 1 'resident Cevalos, finding the Mexican Congress
refractory , played the part of Cromwell, introduced a
large body • of soldiers into the hall, and cleared it of the
members. who afterwards assembled and impeached the
President. President Cevalos had called a convention to
reform th e constitution and elect a new President. He
had issued a proclamation opening the ports of Mazatlan,
San Bias., Tampico, Vera Cruz, and Carmago. Uraga
had been summoned to the capital.