New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-07-23
SOUTH AFRICA.
The hafdr War-Operations of the English
Tro0ps-Gleomy STATE of the Colony.

bringing months later advlceS from the Cape
Colony.
The following summary Is taken from the Capc
Touu Nal ofthe 3lst May.
During the past month no military movements Of
great importance have taken place. bit the wlr has
gradually been assuming An uniayoraole aspect,
which has gwen rlSc 70 much anxiety
">r Harry Smith has remained during ne month
al King Williams Town. from which place he has
continued to send out pdiTOlng columns IN Inherent
Ore, loIs constantly harTasSins ne hostile AaIres'
diving them from their ST0nghOlds. destroying their
kraalS, and occasionally capturing some Oh Their cat
tie Except IN one instance. the kafirs have avoided
an engagement With the troops, having been render
&c by frequent defeats cautious than they show
Ell themselves al the commencement OF the war
The latest intelligence from the headquarters
comprised IN our summary of last month, was of
April %. Al that date, MAJOR WlmOt, with force
of about LOCO men. was engaged IN patrolling the
country along the left bank OF the kelSkamma, near
lis Junction with The UmdeZlnl. He destroyed Sc
veTal kTaals and carried of some stores Of grain
belonging To the hostile kafreS. The latter az
peared al distance along the line OF march, AMI al
tempted 10 crt OF some of the leyles bat observing
that MAJOR Nllmot was preparing by an ingenious
maIGyTe. to draw them into an ambush. they preci-
pltaiey reireaed. and escaped With the loss OF a
few killed. The Hottentot icveS, IN the course of
tins patrol, evlnced a considerable improvement IN
point OF SteaclneSs and discipline
"On the 2Sth Of April Col Macknnon. with force
Of , 200 men, moved from King Williams Town into
Nimot. with about 200 men, proceeded again TO-
ward .de helSkamma, near the junction Of that rlver
with lie Chume, IN order to eject diversion, Oy
occupying the attention OF the CdIfre> IN that quar-
ter Both OF these movements were completely sue
Cc->lui. Col. Macklnn0n entered the mountains At
O'Clock IN the morning. and, taking the CatreS by
surprise, captured about 400 head of cattle. The
enemy exaSporated by the loss, attacked the column
with great fury, engaging for time at close quar-
tiers. After a short but desperate conflict, they were
REFUSED and routed with heavy loss. About 80 were
f.IIa IhsI In es,fn Pfr.,t, stllS
rather severe. being three men of the 3i Regiment
and one Fnc0c Killed, and - men of the s3d, one OF
tire fth. three OF the Cape Mounted Rhemen, and
two of he lcElcS wounded. The dead were nrough,
on 10 The biyouac and inferred win military hOnOrs
On The 1T INST. Col Alackinnon again entered the
mountains and burnt the kraa OF SandlllS brother.
The CafreS collected IN considerable force but could
not be- brought to an engagement On the following
day Co MacMmon returned to headquarters.
While these operations were going on, MAJOR
Wilmot secured the banks OF the keiSkamma near
the Chume and Fort Wiltshire, and Tor I'VE days
kept tie kalrcS IN that quarter necessarily on the
alert Two smart skIrmlshes took place. m which
more than 30 Of the enemy were Killed. oi MAJOR
NIlmots detachment only three were wounded
On the eth and 9th inst. Colonel NachInnon ana
Major WImot again LETT King Williams Town. with
strong detachmonts, IN different directions. me
former proceeded to the hel River, which he reached
on the 18th The enemy assembled along the line
Of march IN considerable force but usually dispersed
on the approach OF the troops. Ia two Sklrmlshes,
however. several kareS were cat OF by charges OF
cavalry, and slain. and about 800 head OF cdltle
were captured. The troops. IN accordance WIN
the COMMUNICATIVE hef's Instructions did not cross
the KEEL although large herds of cattle were seen on
the other side OF that river, having a. appeared by
the traces. beer driven across Il. Inc column re-
turned To King Williams Town on the 10th.
"Maior Wlmot at the same time advanced into
the AmatOlas. by way OF the habousle River, tray
crsod the mountains III various directions, and
reached The keiskamma Neck. The mountains
were covered with snow, the cold was extreme, ana
the Caffre> appeared to be cowed. They only fired
a few shots and fed before the troops IN great num-
bCrs. MAJOR Nllmot after succession Oh lonS anu
arduous marches returned 10 hlng NIlilanS l0"n
on the 18th.
While these movements have been gong on IN
British Cafrana, sudden change OF weather mas
occurred, followed by important results. On the ith
INST the drought which had before prevailed IN ana
beyond the frontier districts, was succeeded by
heavy fails Of ram in some places, and OF snow IN
others In and about CoesDerg, toe orange hlver
Sovereignty and the mountainous parts OF NaHre-
land the ground was covered with snow, ana the
weather has been extremely lnciement Inc cattle
aud sheep IN Albany and the nelghOOrlhs dlsulcts
have perlshed by thousands. The Amatola Noun |
talns have been covered with snow TO their bases,
and the Caires have been compelled 70 leave them,
and drive their cattle TO the low grounds. Some II
would appear have proceeded eastward, across the
Kel others have driven their herds nOrthward INTO |
Tambookleland and considerable number nave /
enttr red the colony across the keiSkamma. Maraud-
ing bands OF CaifreS, more numerous anu daring
than they have before shown themselves, nave /
within the past month spread over the frontier ais,
trciS from the Orange River to the sea. several |
farmers have been killed in the District OF Albert
Other, have been obliged TO quit their farms or
coups and retire into the interior of the colony |
In Albany several larmhouses have been burned III
the vicinity Of Graham's Town, some "dgoh-'rths
attacked and numerous depredatons committed. !
The Kat River District and the adjoining country, !
have been again occupied by the Cafres and rebel
HottentotS who have reposse>sed themselves Oh
Fort Armstrong. \ body of them was attacked ana /
routed with considerable loss, by small force
under Can't. Fisher the officer commanding az
Glands Post MalOr-Gen. Somerset himself subsc-
Oupntly moved into that district, without yOO men,
ana TOOK most III the Blinkwater, and afterwards at
Phhpion IN the Kat River Settlement, but found
himself still unable to check the rayageS oil the
numerous hordes of marauderS by whom the coun-
try was infested. The Colonial patrols had also
been active and frequently successful IN pursuit OF
the plundereTs, but were "ut ~ NC 'o''i'''
and laberous eXeTtlOns To-. ~ tlth.
I'm Lower Caftrarla, lnu. ialeiy around hlng
Williams Town. bands OF hostile tattres have De-
come numerous and daring. lhty nave t"lce cuI on
the mails between Grahams Town and hing VIII,
liam'S Town. have vigorously atacheI conveys ..
wagon, proceeding to the latter town from the port
Of East London. and have fred upon Capt Maclean,
tine Slamble Commissioner, and tapi- Blahchl{; OF
The 9th Regiment, when returning rom Ming WI
ban's Town 10 Fort Murray.
ION The 22d lnst Fleld-t Ommandant JOuberi was
assembling another force ofburghers IN the tole'oerg
district to proceed against the IambooNe marau'
ders This Will be the nth expedition oil TINS brave
and ndeatigable leader, with the 5urghers Of Coles
berg ans the neighborng districts, against the enemy
during the present war. 49,.
LATHE Sovereignty beyond the Orange River, the
state nj affairs has become extremely critical. Hos
,Itie have broken out among the native tribes some
nj whom clam the protection of the local Govern
ment ON the ground Of services rendered 70 II N sup
messing other disturbances last year The principal
irbeS engaged are the kOrannas under the chet Ger
Taavbo>ch the BarolongS under Moroko, the Llg
hoy.s under Mo.ltZanI and, II Mas feared, the hI'
rreroi,s tribe OF BaSutus under Moshesh me course
v6icb MAJOR Warden, the British Resident, would
taIevas uncertain but apprehenSIons were enter
t9ired that niue disorder and bloodshed w0uldensue
IN thai province -. -.o,,.,,,, -
FROM Natal. intelligence has been receFea Oh
.b. aivsnce of Mr.. Shepstone the superintendent
ri the natives IN that colony al the mead OIL con
siderable BODY Of Natal Zuus, toward the north-
eastern frontier Of British Cafrarla where II Is IS eA-
pected he would cooperate with the forces under 'he
,ommarderln-Cmei he l. reported 70 nave rAach-
- ~ r-c-nLlN Of kLe-Ll.e hah.,AtOn. MleLe Lll.