CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. [From the "Melbourne Argus," Nov. 18.]

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 698, 22 December 1852, Page 3

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. [From the "Melbourne Argus," Nov. 18.]

The Cape journals come to hand are to October 16. They contain the following favourable accounts of the progress of the ivar: — By the Frontier Mails very favourable intelligence has been received from the varioxis localities where the enemy had for the last twentytwo months baffled or eluded the British forces. Waterkloof, the Amatola, and the Border Bush generally, are said to be in effect cleared, or only infested by very small parties, whom the Border Police may soon secure or disperse; the Tambookies and Kraili's people are soliciting peace, or forgiveness ; and Sandilli, Macomo, the Uithaalder, are reported to be either flying towards the interior, or surrounded and on the point of being captured. They are certainly beaten and broken up, and the prestige of the British name in a gi'eat measure restored in this part of the world. Lieut.-Colonel Eyre is engaged in putting the last hand to the war. Thus there is some prospect of a breathing time for South Africa, and it is to be hoped that advantage will he taken of it, to put the whole house in order, that it may never again be taken by surprise by an enemy whom one vigorous eifort of an united community, under a well informed Government, could at any time bring to reason. In the Orange River Sovereignty a skirmish took place on the 26th ultimo, between a party of Bastards, under a commandant named Van Wyk, or Jacob Mouwers, and a party of Basutos. under David, the son of Moshesh. The Bastards were encamped within Moroko's line near the Modder 'River. According to the Friend of the 30th, the Bastards had been the aggressors. They were defeated, with the loss of their commandant and his son, with most of their cattle and horses. On the 30th of September, at daylight, Capt. Cumbers, with 15 men, surprised 150 Kafirs in Tola's Kloof, near the Fish River, killing 15 and wounding 10 Kafirs, and capturing 31 head of cattle, 25 rounds of ammunition, 95 Government percussion caps, 4 guns, and a great number of assagais. On the Ist October, the same officer, and a party of his men, supported by Lieutenant Griffin, 45th regt., Garrison-Adjutant, and 12 of the Alice Mounted Levy, and Captain Peter Campbell, with some of the Fort Beaufort Fingo Levy, recaptured from the rebel Hottentots and Kafirs, near Peffer's Kop, a number of cattle belonging to the Fingo chief Mavoussa, which had been allowed to graze at too great a distance from Fort Hare. In this affair Randganger, a deserter from the Cape Mounted Rifles, was killed; his horse, gun, j and ammunition captured; and two other rebel Hottentots fell, but were carried off by the enemy. The last intelligence by the Frontier post is | limited chiefly to the contents of a Government Notice, respecting the meeting between the Governor and the T'Slambie Chiefs on the 6th. With the exception of the rebel Seyolo (who had lately made some overtures for surrender) all these Chiefs were present and expressed friendly feelings. His Excellency clearly explained to them their position with respect to the rebels, and his fulld etermination that the hostile tribes should be driven across the Kei, intimating, however, that any of the Gaika people who had taken refuge within the T'Slambie boundaries should not be molested, so long as they obeyed the laws; at the same time any T'Slambie tolerating outrages in his country, or habouring the hostile Chiefs, will be treated as an j enemy. His Excellency expresses his opinion, after inquiring into the recent aggressions, that the road between East London and King William's Town, is not now more dangerous to travel, with due precautions than at any time since the outbreak of the rebellion. His Excellency reached Graham's Town on the evening of the Bth. A spirited affair is described, in which Major Home, of the 12th foot, with a small patrol of his' own men and of Cape Corps under Lieut. Goodison, tracked a marauding party of about 20 Kafirs into an almost inapproachable Kloof and succeeded in killing 12 of them. The details of the expedition under LieutColonel Eyre are thus given in an official notice : —The Waterkloof having been cleared of the troublesome tenants who had so long proved a source of annoyance to the colony, ana sufficient measures having been taken to prevent the probability of their return, His Excellency being enabled to withdraw two regiments, proceeded to the neighbourhood of Fort Hare, and thence, ascending the Chumie valley to the foot of the Hog's Black, selected a spot for the construction of a defensible post on the Kwessna River, opposite the ruins of Auckland which should^jommand all the upper /passes leading from the Amatolas to the colony. Having assembled a force consisting of the 73rd Regiment, three companies of the 60th, Armstrong's Horse, Campbells Fingoes, the Kat River Levy, with two brigades of rockets, with a proportion of the Cape Mounted Rifles, he placed it under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Eyre, with orders to perambulate and effectually clear out

the Amntolas, and in the first place search out laager of the rebel Uithaalclcv. This patrol started from the New Kwesann Post on the 4th hist., before daybreak, and a private letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Eyre has this day (the sth,) reached his Excellency at King William's Town, stating that he had surprised and burnt Uithaalder's laager, and pursued the fugitives into the Gulu Valley, without any casualties ; that after a hard day's "work, leaving his infantry to watch the enemy, lie had proceeded with his cavalry to Lieut-Colonel Skipwith's Post, the Keiskama Hock, whence, taking with him three companies of the 43rd regiment, it was his intention to come back upon Mount McDonald, and thereby meet his other forces. As the chief Macomo is known to have fled from the Waterkloof, and as both Sandilli and Uithaalder, are now supposed to he enveloped by the Forces under Lieut-Colonel Eyre's command, there is reason to expect a successful result.