A BRILLIANT AFFAIR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 48, 25 February 1881, Page 4

A BRILLIANT AFFAIR.

The letter of an officer who was present at the defence of Mafefcang against the Basutos is published in the Times. He says: — We marched in here through the Free State on the 13th inst., and about two miles before we got in, I who was in command of the advanced guard (40 men), was attacked by 'about 600 Basutos. "We got in among some stones, and kept them off till reinforcements arrived, when they bolted, leaving 12 men killed. "We got in here about II o'clock, and I immediately started with two troops j o seize some of the enemy's waggons. Some ten miles off we got three, but had to abandon the rearmost one, as they came done in great force. We got back about 3 o'clock with the two waggons, a lot of sheep and cattle, and five prisoners. Directly I got in 1 had to start off in another direction to reinforce another troop that was getting it rather hot. I took out some spare ammunition, beat the enemy off, a,nd got back to camp about 7.30 p.m. Next day we did much the same sort of thing. Our captured stock was sold for £400, which goes to Government. Yesterday Mr Sprigg, the Colonial Secretary, arrived just as I was starting on a reconnaissance with 40 men to a village three miles from here, in sight of the camp. We got got into the village, and were almoßt surrounded by 800 men (mounted). , I got out of the village and into a lot j of rocks 100 yords off. Before doing sp I sent a man to gallop for his life back to camp for reinforcements. He only just got in, but was so knocked out of time that he could only say one of my videttes was cut off, and I was in some rocks near a village. Luckily, the colonel knew I must be in a hole by sending a man back, and at once sent out reinforcements. Directly the enemy Baw them coming COO or 700 more come on to help the others, who had surrounded us. I had to retire down a precipice with my men and horses, and succeeded in getting down in good order without a single casualty. Directly we got down 1200 men swooped down on us, but by retiring in alternate troops we kept them back, and got into camp without losing a horse or man. I bad my field-glasses shot out of my hand. One of the ! troops sent to relieve me got into a | ditch, and by a steady fire checked tbe advance of a large body of men who were trying to cut off my retreat. The other troop charged another body of 200 men, but got right into a strong body of the enemy who were under cover. They had to wheel their horses and gallop for it. The officer in command (Lieutenant Clarke), in attempting to rescue ; a wounded man, whom he had already put on his own horse, was killed, as well as the wounded man he endeavoured so gallantly to save. I knew nothing of it till we got back to catnp, as hia troop waa separated from mine by a ridge. Directly I heard of it I went back and recovered the bodies. We killed from 20 to 30 men, and my troop only fired 50 rounds of ammunition. I never saw men behave better under fire than my own party. Although there was a rain of bullets on us, the whole time, I would not allow a man to fire until I named him, as I never expected to get out a single man. I was determined only to fire when they came within 100 yards of us. I had only 50 rounds a man with me. Altogether, we lost one officer and two men, with their horses. You can hardly imagine the pace these fellows can go on their ponies — up and down hills, over rocks, at a breakneck pace — our horses are not in it with them ; bo you can fancy how I felt, surrounded by 1200 of these light cavalry in a place that only one horse could be dragged down at a time. Besides most of them are better armed than we are, as they have MartiniHenrys and Westley-Richards rijfles while we have only Sniders and revolvers. I told the Colonial Secretary, when I got back, pretty plainly what I thought about our arms, so he is at any rate going to give us swords. I got some " kudos " for the way I kept my post for two hours against them without wasting my ammunition, and getting away with the loss of pne vidette; but then, if it had not been for the gallant charge of poor Clarke and the plucky way M'Mullen (one of my own subalterns) kept them back with his troop by showing a bold front and keeping up a Bteady fire, not one of my men could have escaped, unless they had chosen to evacuate the camp, and come out in force to our assistance. We all have war on the brain, and this will be a long and bloody one. The Basutos are splendid shots, fight well behind stone walls, and are always ready to swoop down on any exposed corner. The total fighting force of the nation is 40,000 men, half of whom are mounted. We intend to put into the field 13,000, and it is not certain whether the whole of the Basuto nation will rise.