INSURRECTION AT THE CAPE DIAMOND FIELDS.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2630, 22 July 1871, Page 3

INSURRECTION AT THE CAPE DIAMOND FIELDS.

Sir Henry Barkly seems likely to have had forced upon him a civil war soon after his assuming the Governorship of Cape Colony. The following account is from the Capa Argils, 4th April:—

The ownership of portions of the diamond region is disputed, the South African .Republic claiming one part and the Free Stale another—a native-chief, Waterboer, denying the right.of cither to the localities claimed by them. Waterboer placed his case in the hands of Her Majesty’s High Commissioner, who, on his visit to the diamond-fields, arranged with the President (Pretorius) of the South African Republic to refer the dispute as far as that State was concerned to a commission, composed of the British special magistrate at the fields, and a Mr O’Reilly, an inhabitant of that Republic. A similar oftor was made by Ijjir Henry Barkly to President Brand of the Free State, but that functionary declined to refer the matter to arbitration unless the King of Holland or the President of the United States was made the umpire. This request Sir Henry refused. The High Commissioner, after his . visit to the Diamond fields, went to the Free, State, where he was reci ived with great enthusiasm. He had, however, scarcely gone from that State when President Brand ordered a command of 1,000 men to Pniel, to support the ! anddorst or magistrate appointed by the Free State authorities. Sir Henry Barkly, then, aa the saying goes, “ put his fooo down. ” He wrote a despatch to President Brand declaring that he could not but regard his proceedings as tantamount to a declaration of war against the Queen of England, and significantly reminded him that he is a British subject. He announced his intentions of protecting British subjects in the “ exercise of their lawful calling ” with all the force at his command, and made it perfectly clear that all the power the British Government possesses in this colony would be used with decision in putting down any hostile movement on the part of the Burghers. The frontier armed and mounted police were ordered to the front, thenorthern border po ice Laving previously arrived at Klipdrift, The latist news from tbe field states that 250 Burghers of the Free State had arrived at Pniel, but that no act of hostility had as yet taken place. The diggers were preparing for war, and some of them bad jumped two cannons belonging to the native chiet Jantie. ..