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New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 595, 16 April 1851, Page 2

OFFICIAL DESPATCH FROM COL. SOMERSET Fort Hare, 30 th December, Ifijn Sir, —Having had a severe action with tta . my yesterday in an attempt to open a co aai tion with the Cominander-in-Chief, I felt it sary to transmit to you the substance of J 6 ’’ ' to him in order to prevent unfounded ess®— reports being circulated of the facts. Having on the night of the 28th and niorw the 29 th instant, before daylight forwarded d spatches to His Excellency the Conmj TO( ] et . I Chief by a party of the Cape Mounted Rifled this party were intercepted by the enemy and I properly returned and made their report to me 'i Feeling tlie importance of opening au early com I munication with his Excellency, and at the sand time being desirous of ascertaining what was acij ally in the front, 1 detailed a party of 150,915(J giment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Yarborough ;» Cape Mounted Rifles under Major Somerset, accoia panied by a small three pounder gun, Royal Anil lery—my object being to take up a position on J ridge above tlie Umnezie Stream while I seat J party of tire Cape Mounted Riflemen forward vid tlie mail to Fort Cox. This object was howeverfei feated by tlie enemy showing themselves in derable force on our right on the Yellowwoodßinr about 6 miles from this post, who attacked us u ' we were advancing up the hill towards the Umezi, whom, however, we drove back and for a time estiblished ourselves in position ; from the lar®e of the enemy whom I observed collecting I saws once that I could not effect the object I had inview, I therefore directed the troops to retire towirfi Fort Hare; at this time a very large force of the®, emy was also observed coming over from therm, tains of the Amatola, and others assembled in Chumie Hoek.

The troops continued retiring in admirable orfe, contesting every foot of ground with the enrnd whose numbers increased out of every valley, asvil passed the successive heads of the various klwfJ The day was most oppressive. I was able toopet the gun upon the enemy several times with good effect. After retiring about three miles, -viiiiehoid.' ing a small view on a hill, on firing a sholimthel small gun the trail unfortunately broke short oj which rendered the gun completely unserviceable, I had it brought on until, when passing a valley with rugged banks the gun fell over, and couldbel no longer brought forward. At this time wera attacked by a very superior force in a thorny valley.! the troops having a hand to hand encounter riil the enemy. Here lam sorry to say several oied brave soldiers fell, iucludingLieutenant Melvinitil Lieutenant and Adjutant Gordon 91st Hegimatl Ensign Bothwick, 91st, was wounded ; also seven! men 91st and Cape mounted Riflemen were wounld and several troop horses; also Major Sometstil charger was wounded. Having forced themsetel from this difficulty, the troops continued to rets! in perfect order, when they were met by 1000 Bat most judiciously sent out in support by Forbes, 91st, whom I had left in command at F«| Hare. t

The heat of the weather was most oppressin, nothing could exceed the steadiness and gall®! of the troops through this most fatiguing and tiji' service through a most difficult country:—l greatly indebted to Lt.-Col. Yarborough, comtnrt ing 91st, and to Major Somerset commanding W Mounted riflemen, for the able assistance they f-M ed, and the way in which they led their men, anl«i all the officers and men for their steady and gdl* l conduct. i The loss of the enemy was considerable, our fq being steady and well directed, having conteste!®] ground with the enemy for upwards of four ho® The gun I had brought in this morning. - I have, &c., j H. Somerset, Col. j Commanding Front:.

POSTSCRIPT. J [Here we form a short hiatus in order to g- :5 '4 latest intelligence from the Graham's of the 4th inst, The thread of the narrative tS| has been omitted will be resumedin our next DUS | ber.—Ed. African Journal.'} 1 ESCAPE OF THE GOVERNOR- | Friday, January 3rd.—This morning.the intelligence reached us from King William s ,| the despatches being brought by Kafirs of | tribe, who succeeded in eluding the enenffi J have possession of the Fish River passes- 0 J escape of the Governor from Fort Cox, an 01 I rival there on the 30th ultimo. His Zrf® made a dash from the fort with 250 or tb° \| Rifles, forcing his passage through the De 0 J though opposed by a large body of the enern^ e cii| kept up a heavy fire, but without, as fa r . a ° J learn, occasioning any loss to the co^°. nl “ ha t fori| His Excellency, it is said, exchanged his foragecap of the Rifles, as a prudentpr-’jj against being made a target of by his assai a .j ’ Fort Cox, as well as all the Forts along - &f the Buffalo, will be maintained —Easjo<| being made the base of the military opera' reJ « about to take place. Supplies may landed there, and then forwarded with g re .. p. s d along that line. By holding this chain t p| the attention of the Kafirs is drawn colony, and to this we may attribute rative freedom from any large bodies of so that our farmers have been able to. cattle to the rear, and to reap a cons lll c . tity of corn. Had the Governor relink r

•osts, it would have greatly inspirited the Kafirs, nd thousands ere this would have rushed into the jolony, and laid waste the border districts. His Excellency’s presence in' King William’s Town is (ery opportune, as it may probably have the effect of ieepingUnihala q uiet. At present he is strongly suspected of cherishing hostile intentions, but, like all bis countrymen, he is a shrewd calculating savage, jrho weighs the probabilities with great care, and pill only act with decision where he sees, or fancies no perceives, his own immediate interest. Palo remains unequivocally allied to the British cause. Pis conduct throughout has been marked by a frank decision which gives confidence, difficult as | now is to inspire this, in the sincerity of such professions. His son, Delima, it is said, is in the leighbourhood of King William’s Town with 1,400 hen, ready to act with the Governor on any serjice he may appoint. It is expected too,' with jonfidence, that a diversion will be made in favour |f the colony from Port Natal. In that settlement |here are many thousand Zooloo warriors, a portion |f whom if moved along the Quathlamba to the Sources of the T’somo, might effectually engage pie attention of the Ama-Temboo (Tambookies) Mid Ama-Galeka (Kreii’s) tribes, and prevent them (■oin engaging with the other tribes in the war now ■raging in the colony. Added to this, a reinforcement of troops with artillery is expected immediately at East London.