CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 708, 26 January 1853, Page 3

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

[From the "Sydney Herald," Jan. I.] We have Cape and Graham's Town journals to the latter end of October. The news from the frontier is still of an unsatisfactory character.^ The Graham's Town Journal, October 26, gives the following account of the murder of Captain Hearne, of the 12th Regiment, and two soldiers and the chief constable, at Fort Peddie : Captain Hearne's camp is at Driver's Farm, 12 miles east of Graham's Town; and it appears that about.seven a.m. last Monday, the escort started from thence, as is regularly done on that day of the week, in order to secure the road through the bush for the passage of wagons, &c. Unfortunately, Captain 11. did not start until a short time after the escort, being accompanied by his servant and Mr. Reilly, all mounted. About twenty minutes after Captain H. had thus left his camp, his horse and that of his servant were seen galloping back to the camp. A soldier of the 12th Foot (not on duty at the time), thinking the horses had thrown their riders, ran after one of them, and unfortunately went so far as to fall into the hands of the marauders. Almost immediately after a shot was heard, when three postridcrs and a sergeant of the 12th, who had just caught one of the horses, galloped towards the spot, and, on reaching the top of the ridge, saw the man before mentioned flee out of the bush stark naked. He was followed by the banditti, who poured a volley after hiin, as it would seem without effect. One of the rebel Hottentots was then seen to take deliberate aim, and the poor fellow pitched forward, the ball having, as was discovered afterwards, hit him in the back, and passed through the body. One of the military then galloped off to Governor Kop Camp, and on giving this Information, Major Home started instantly with Dr. Duncan, Adjutant Foster, and a detachment of the Cape Corps under Lieutenant Goodison, in the direction pointed out. When they reached Driver's Camp, they found the body of the murdered man lying in the road, quite dead, on the spot where it fell. Major Home shortly afterwards came on the bodies of the other three victims, all of which were conveyed to the camp. All had been stripped of their clothing, but presented no appearance of having been tortured. Captain Hearne had been shot through the arm, the ball passing along the fore arm from the elbow to the hand, shattering the thumb. This shot must have knocked him from his horse, -when the rebels appear to have rushed on him and knocked his brains out, either with stones or the butts of their guns. His servant, itwas inferred from appearances, had been caught alive, as he was assagaied under the arm. Reilly was shot through the body. Major Home patroled the whole of the country around tlie caxnp ; out the rain Laving obliterated the spoor, he was forced to return without coming up with the murderers. With respect to the military operations, the same journal says : The information from British Kaffraria is alike interesting and important. Despatches have been received by His Excellency the Governor from Major-General Yorke, forwarding communications received by him from Colonel Eyre, which go to show that this energetic and able officer is conducting his operations in the Amatola with a degree of vigorous perseverance which can hardly fail being'erowned with important results. His communications give a detail of his operations to the 11th instant, which were conducted with so much ability and zeal, as that Sandilli was driven from his covert, and so closely pressed as to be within an ace of falling into the hands of the British force. Besides this, a considerable quantity of o-unpowder has been captured, which, from the locality in which it was found, and its being secured in bags, is supposed to have been placed there in reserve to meet future contingencies. The documents which contain this information embrace a period from the 4th to the 11th instant, the former date connecting Colonel Eyre's movements with the accounts already before the public when that officer parted from the Governor, and commenced his operations in the country occupied by the rebel Hottentots under Uhhralder, as reported in our last Saturday's issue. It appears from the accounts now received, Colonel Eyre having formed his camp in the Keiskamma Hoek, took immediate measures for effectually scouring the mountain country from the Kabousie Neck to the Debe Flats. In pursuance of the plan of operations resolved on, the force, under the command of Colonel Eyre, was divided, and detached to particular points, under experienced commanders, all of whom seem to have discharged the special duty entrusted to them in the most satisfactory manner. One patrol, under Major Moldsworth, was directed to dislodge the enemy from a position taken by him on the steep side, near the summit of the Seven-kloof mountain. The enemy from this point had annoyed the garrison at Fort Cox, and had also interrupted the communication with Fort White, audit wasdeemed necessary therefore that he should be dislodged, and, if possible, crushed in the first instance. Major Iloldsworth's arrangements seem to have been made with skill, and carried out with great spirit. Quitting th<3 camp after the close of the day, he jsilently, during the darkness of the night, began his ascent of the Seven-kloof Mountain, reaching the su'limit with 140 men of the Queen's Regiment, before dawn of the following morning. Day broke while the mountain top was veiled by a dense mist, concealing them effectually from the enemy, who evidently had no suspicion of the danger at hand, Approaching the position of the enemy to within 100 yards, the gallant Queen's, with a loud English hurrah, rushed forward, and were the next minute amidst the foe, who fled, panic stricken, in all directions. Two or three were killed, but the rest, favoured by the mist, escaped down the precipitous sides of the mountain, leaving everything behind them, and amongst the spoil several bags of gunpowder, evidently kept in reserve for future use. Three firelocks, numerous assegais, and several cows and horses, were amongst the spoil. About forty huts were destroyed, without any resistance on the part of the enemy. While Major Holdsworth was so well employed on the Seven-kloof Mountain, Colonel Skipwith moved with the force under his command from the Kieskamma Hoek to Mount Macdonald, on the summit of which he bivouacked for the night. During his operations he captured five horses, all laden with corn, apparently belonging to a party of the enemy who had been surprised by our troops while on the track from the Amatola, now discovered not to be impregnable, as was once supposed, to British troops. From the report made by this patrol, the country traversed by it appears to be abandoned. A few huts were seen, and also a few gardens, but the great bulk of the population had retired, and had not been there for some time. A few chiefs were supposed to be lurking in the mountains, the spoor of a few scattered horsemen being seen, apparently scouts upon the look-out against surprise by the British troops. Colonel Eyre's regiment was in immediate conjunction with that of Colonel Skipwith. His route was through the very difficult country forming the Quilli Quilli range, Mount. Kemp, Perie Bush, and Kabousie Neck, to Mount Macdonald, whence after his junction with Colonel Skipwith, he moved through the Boomab Pass. The gallant colonel speaks very highly of the great advantage he derived from having with him a number of pack mules, which appears to be most admirably adapted for the work of traversing quickly this broken mountainous region.