THE TROUBLES AT THE CAPE.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1360, 24 June 1878, Page 3

THE TROUBLES AT THE CAPE.

The'correspondent of the London “Times,” writing from Cape Town on March, 26th, says : Gladly and hopefully I wrote two or three weeks ago that the worst of our frontier difficulties were surmounted, and that there was a near prospect of the speedy re-establish-ment of peace. I regret to say recent events have not justified these over-sanguine expectations. The attack upon Sandilli and the rebels in the Amatolas has not been attended as yet with any success, while the casualties on our side have been much more serious than in previous engagements with the enemy. The region occupied by the Gaeka chief and his warriors is a hilly tract of country about forty miles in circumference, with numerous ridges and spurs, forming in many places deep ravines or kloofs, densely wooded, which are the natural fastnesses of the Caffres. One portion of this territory, the Perie Bush, is not more than twelve miles from the Governor’s headquarters at King William’s Town, and the Hash of the guns and the sounds of cannonading and volley firing on the edge of the forest heights were easily seen and heard there. General Thesiger took the field on the 17th inst. On Monday morning, at daybreak, Commandant Brabant, with a party of the Frontier Mounted Riflemen, the Humansdorp and Fort White troops fell in with a large body of the rebels at a spot overlooking Murray’s" Krantz, and though from the overwhelming number of their opponents and some unexplained failure in receiving support from the column under Colonel Wood, they were obliged to retire, it is stated on good authority that a retrograde movement of some six miles through a bush-lined country, and while encumbered with wounded, was made in excellent order, equal to that of the most highly disciplined soldiers. The brave little force sustained comparatively heavy casualties—ten of them being wounded; one, Jarvis, of the Frontier Mounted Riflemen, mortally; and anothe", Muller, of the Humansdorp Corps, dangerously. Niekcrk, of the latter corps, and Mcaker, of the Fort White Volunteers, receive only flesh wounds. Captain Brabant and Captain Lowe, of the Fort White Volunteers, both had horses shot under them, and several others were struck belonging to the troop. The brief accounts to hand of tins affair state that our forco_ wont into an open glade encircled by bush without seeing any one, while the Caffres were hidden all around and suddenly tried to surround them. To the extreme left of the spot where this fight occurred a body of 200 rebels was met with near the Dohue Bush, and engaged by Bowker’s Rovers and some Queenstown Volunteers under Captain Ella. The natives lost thirty-eight men, but were able to get under cover of the tlnoket. On Tuesday, again, the troops and auxiliary forces attacked the enemy in the Perie Bush, when two officers of the Diamond Field Horse (a fine body of men, commanded by Major Warren, R.E.) were killed. The telegram tells us that these officers, while leading their men against the enemy, were looking over a krautz, when the Captain cried, “ They are here,” and immediately afterwards fell; the Lieutenant was shot shortly afterwards. Major Warren has been hurt by a tree rolled down by the enemy, but remains in the field. Captain Bradshaw", commanding the Fingoe levies, has also been killed. He was in the Bush with his Fingoes, when Dukwana, Sandilli’s best marksman, stepped out from cover and shot him. This Dukwana, who was one of the Christian members of the Emgwali Mission, is reported to have been shortly afterwards despatched in the fightmg which ensued. It is now acknowledged that the work of dislodging the enemy from their stronghold in the Amatolas will bo a matter of some time and difficulty. This, however, is the task that General Thesiger has set himself to accomplish, and to effect it he has established a chain of posts round the Buffalo range. Kreli is still across the Kei in his own country, and it is not believed that ho will give himself up. An official telegram reports that his people are reassembling there again. Gongibeie, however, has sent word to the Civil Commissioner of Queenstown that he is willing to surrender himself to his former missionai’y, the Rev, Mr Newton. The situation of affairs in the Transvaal is such as to create much uneasiness, There is now no longer doubt that the Bapcdi chief, Sccocoeni, has permitted his Caffres to make an attack upon the neighboring Euroneuns in the Orighstndt Valley and around K uger’s Post. The chief Cetewayo, who is suspected of having instigated these fresh hostilities, is believed to be ready to let loose his dogs of war along the Zululend boundary. A letter written by Mr Glynn, once a resident in Capo Town, from Kruger’s Post on the 6th of March, speaks of two raids by Caffres, one being made by 500 Caffres at midnight on Wainwright’s place at Orighstadt, and another on Waterfall Valley and Burger’s Fort. At Wainwright’s there was a good deal of firing, bub no one was killed, as the family escaped into the bush All the cattle were cleared off. At Waterfall Valley two Dutch farmers named Venter were killed, and at Burger’s Fort, the garrison having been ordered to leave it, the buildings were burnt. The farmerq are reported to be trekking out of the L"jdenburg district. A private letter from the goldfields slates that all the Delagoa Bay Caffres are leaving there, saying that Seoocoeni will this time kill every one. The writer complains that they have no ammunition in the field, and that the farmers are also without any. The Transvaal burghers themselves have not come forward to aid in defence.