CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 190, 25 March 1848, Page 3

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

The Zuid A/ricaan of 27th November, contains melancholy news from the frontiers. Five Officers have perished by the hands of the Kaffirs — Captain W.L Y. Baker, Lieut. Faut, and Ensign Burnop, of the 73rd regiment, Dr. N. S. Campbell, Surgeon of that corps, and Assistant-Surgeon Loch, of the 7th Dragoon Guards. It appears that they were tempted to leave the General's camp at Komga, to visit a conspicuous rock or mountain, remarkable for its isolated character, its attitude and its table summit, commanding one of the finest and most extensive views in South Africa. The distance from the camp was about seven mile?. Their curiosity was much excited by the desciiption of this scenery in the camp, and they resolvtd to judge for themselves. Shortly after their departure, they were overtaken by a heavy shower of rain, which decided Lieutenant Littlehales of the 7?rd regiment, who was indispoiedi to return, and thus escape the dreadful fate that awaited hit companions. The road to the mountain was a long narrow ridge, terminated by a deep glen, and thence through a valley encumbered by rock and bush. It is supposed that the Officers were allowed to gain the summit of the mountain without seeing an enemy, but they were piobably watched by the savage*. In the evening Lieut. Littlehales became uneasy, expressing his fears that some acpident had happened, and a party consisting of Captain Berkjey, Military Secretary, Captains Seymour, and Somerset, the General's aides deCamp, and Captain Bisiet, C. M. R., with ten of that corps, started off in quest of the missing party— they dared not enter the glen, bui fired several rounds as signals, without answer, and returned to the camp. At midnight a stronger force, consisting of four companies of the 73rd regt., accompanied by Lieut. Littlehales, left the camp to point out the way. Shortly after daylight, the objects of their search were discovered, dead, stripped, and savagely mutila cd. From appearjince it is conjectured that the unfoitunate deceased must have bren attacked on passing the valley, but on endeavoring, to escape, their retreat through-the narrow pass at the glen bad been cut off, and they became easy victims to overwhelming numbers. The spectacle presented was frightful. A letter stages— " Mr. Burnop had three balls in his head, Capr. Baker was stabbed and mutilated in several places : poor Dr. Campbell must have suffered greatly, the flesh being actually pared from his body ; the naked body of Lieuf. Faut had been apparently flogged with chain* ;— their eyes had been scooped out, their teeth extracted— and the head of. Assistant-Surgeon Loch had been severed from the body and carried away. The lattei , it is supposed, was dragged to iome little distance from his companions, to a smooth flat stone and there beheaded. AH were stripped, and their remains left on the spot where they fell. The dead bodies of two Kaffirs lay at no great distance, killed, aiis asgumed. by these Officers at the first moment of attack. The poor fellows were buried the next day in one grave, and there was not a dry eye present, from the General downwards." It wss immediately decided to rpvenge this barbarous

massacre, and a largo body of tioops under the com' mand of the General himself, and Colonel Somerset,, 6et out to scour the country. The passage of the Kyo was attempted by Colonel Somerset, but found impracticable. In the mean time the General ascended the f.iee of the mountain, taking up his position on the summit. From this elevuiion many hundreds ol cattle and Kafiiis were seen, the latter having taken up a moit favorable position in a large bend of ihe river, difficult of approach. An attack was made by the British troop?, and daringly reiistrd by the Kaffirs— however, the former rushed fearlessly over every d i (II - culty, and drove ihe enemy before them. Twentythree Kaffiis were kil'ed, and double that number wounded, whilit the only casualties on our side were one Seijeant of the Provisional killed, and on- troophorse. Upwards of 300 he-wl of cattle, aud several guns were captured from the Knffir-. Colonel Somerset nude himself rematkablo for hi<? gallantry and activity throughout the encasement. After wait n? some dnys, we leai n by the Zual Afiicaan of the 27th September, that this Officer had passed the river Kye with his force.