INSURRECTION AT THE CAPE DIAMOND FIELDS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 164, 13 July 1871, Page 2

INSURRECTION AT THE CAPE DIAMOND FIELDS.

o Sir Henry Barkly seems, likely to have had forced upon him a civil war soon after his assuming- the Governorship of the Cape Colony. The following account is from the Cape Argus, 4th of April: — y The of portions of the <Hamond\reg|on is disputed, the South African Republic claiming one part, and the free state another, a native chief, Waterboer, denying the right of either 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 (Pretorious) 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 offer was made by Sir 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 tbe umpire. This request Sir Henry refused. The

gone from that state when President Brand ordered a commando of 1000 men ta '.Priiel, '/to; support the landdrost or magistrate appointed by the Free State authorities. Sir Henry Barkly -then, as the saying goes, '"put his' foot 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 intention 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 tbe power- the British Government possesses in this Colony would be used with decision in putting down any hostile movement oh the part of the Burghers. The frontier armed and mounted police were ordered to the front, the northern border 'police having previously arrived at Kilpdrift. The UUest.aews from the fields states that 250 'b'urgjkefrs of tlie Free State had arrived at Poiel, but that no act of hostility had as yetf taken place. The diggers were preparing for war, and some of them had "jumped" two cannons belonging to the native chief Jantje.