New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-04-02
SOUTH AFRICA.
FROM THE DUTCH REPUBLIC.

Accounts from the Trsnsvasl Republic announce
the return Of Gen Pretorious after iohlc,ing signs,
punishment on the Kanir chief Makapan, for the
murder OF Field Comet Po'gieter and seven or eight
men and he MAJ sscfe of several women, accOmpa
hied by circumstances OF the most horrible cruelty
The General reports that toward the end OF October
bic force II sted to that Of Comm aDdant General Pot
eeter reached the subtereDeau caverns In which The
enemy had inreDcbed Themselves. These caverns are
"Upward Of 2 600 feet in length, by 300, 500 snd
$50 feet wide nterseced by several walls, and ofer
ing urity every hand, that an Egyptian dark
nese prevails throughout, even in those ceverns
which lave two openings. did not coDsiter itptu
dent for ms men to rush into these and therefore de-
Weed smother plan 10 destroy our foe.
"In cur Council Of War ON the 2Sth, we resolved
to blast tho rocks above the cavorns, and thus 10
crush the enemy. The requisite implements were
room constructed and collected, 30 that on the 800
made iiial, which failed, however, on account
OF tie and saty compOnents Of the rocks there
the powder losing its effect by reason of the mani
folc tIeNicts and openings.
"This having failed, I gave orders TO besiege the
csyerns Gay and night aud to cut OIL as lar Is posi-
BILE all supplies With this Wow had come fences
constructed on the rocks behind which posted ioo
men CAV ard night. During this Work tue h4urs
FREQ necessarily oat Of tue caverns, but whouI IN
Jury 10 u.s. Vhile our patrols daily shot down som, o.
the eltmy. On TIE 9th Of November proceeded 70
tbs caverns accompanied by Commander. General
Pct.ietcr: we had ordered TOE bushes, which OBJ
s,rrc,ed US at night to be Gu down. My colleague,
while urging on party OF friendly haihrs VINO we're
working for having gone 100 lar In advance, was
struok by a bullet fired by the enemy az the very
mouth III one Of the cavernsi ut entered ths
ebt shoulder, and came out between the ie't snoai-
der and the neck SO thst ne was anOChva Ho"
biSht of about twenty five feet, and fell RICH 10
in front of the enemy fence. at once ordered me
fence to be stofmeo and thus secured tne poay, Wc
i had for hwth escoItedto The camp 10 DO buried
there On the same day his brother the Com nand-
ant IL Pogieter, was Professionally appointed 70
succeed bis brother as Comm4ndant General. Ihe
chief con rnand Of the whole force there engaged was
hovy cnnhdfd 10 as the executive OOmudbl
ant General and this tack l readily accep'ed'
Deeply indeed, was grieved at the loss OF my gar
liant colleague, whom had learht TO love oTo'uei
In everything we consulted each other. 10 ms
prsise il may be said that he was warrior IN the
fullest sense of the term undauned, aud educated IN
the war with the Koihr tribes, he cespised tnem ana
knew no danger: wherever outy called HIN he was
present ara was enabled at all times TO pon. his men
10 his own example. -.
1.-THE loss of my gallant colleague strengthened, il
possible my determination III ~ 10 aVenge the Oioou
which had already been she'd
"The siege was a work that proceeded much too
tardily. Fruitlessly had the KAhr chief been cha-
eDged 10 out OF the caverns with ell his men TO
ansxer for the butchery which he had COMMITTED
On the sth of November determined 10 block up the
on. pues OF the caverIs which from 40 10 90 feet
vide and 25 TO IS feet deep. Fifty span of oxen,
with all adequate number of lsborers, employed
upon that work on the fret day. During the next
Ave DAYS this work was vigorously prosecuted, dur
inc which time 500 drags Of trees and as many loads
of stones were brought and thrown down the cav
by 800 friendly hhInrt III our ho1u-
while the Kafhrs commenced a. night TO sally forth
to procure wster; large number OF wo men and cal-
dren suffering from want of water also sailed forth,
but died after they had drunk little water Among
these wss male X afir who surrendered, pudertsk-
ing to point out where the ivory OF the murdered an
was secieted. Lieut.. Paul krieger was dispstcaed
for this purpose on the 18th inst, with a smsn
e4ard, and returned in the afternoon WIN -
.pe and Is small elephants tusks The hrst, l,olO
IN weight belong 10 Mr.. Uckermann, traler, OF
'tesms0r zbuIg-the latter belong to the murdered
here. This afternoon two horses OF the ia'e IL:
gies.T also fell into our hands. On the 10Th OF
'ember q large number Of women and children
a. ain inshtd cut Of the caverns, While, on our part
10 Continued 10 approach the same, so as TO DO ena'
bed to ook into them for come distance Inc FOL
lowing day part Of my entered the caverns, al
most without opposition. They took "a guns, IA
shot belts mostly filed with powder and balls bag
OF sMgs some pieces of lead two chests OF clothing
lsone unfnHhed) 40 lbs. of coffee, and numerous
other small wares. Among the booty captured there
VA much belonging to the fsmi les Of the murdered,
and whieh was returned to them. The rest after
consulting the council Of war caused 10 be sold,
besides hat the ivory belonging 10 Mr.. Uckermsnu,
to defrAy expenses moreover caused all the sheep
and goats TO De sold. The whole realized g. 500 rix
dollars, part OF which was given TO the men Of the
late Gen. Pofgeftr while the rest have received 10
cover the expenses of ammunition. sc.
"On the 2lst gave orders to rase the siege. We
could longer the stencil Of the purid bodies Of
the enemy both without and within the caverns The
auber OF those who had fallen outside the csverns
amounted to upward of 900. The number who had
fallen within must be much greater, according to the
statement Of some Of my men, who penetrated into
"Ths siege Of Mskspsn's caverns having been
rsised on the alst, gave orders to advance upon
napsla hspela hes hed-hr krsih are deserted