CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

Otago Witness, Issue 59, 3 July 1852, Page 4

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

Cape Town papers up to the 2oth of March had been received at Sydney. From the S. M. Herald we extract the following intelligence : —

Lieutenant-Governor Darling arrived at Table Bay, by the steamer Harbinger, on the 24th March ; General Yorke and a number of passengers were in the same vessel. General Cathcart, who was to supersede Sir Harry Smith, had sailed in the Hydra, and was hourly expected.

A despatch from Earl Grey covering the commission and instructions to General Cathcart have been published at Cape Town. We may, for the present observe, that the Lieutenant-Governor is to reside at Cape Town, with authority to carry on the civil government, whilst the Governor himself is on the frontier, or otherwise engaged in the adjacent territories. Should the Governor, after the termination of the war, take up his own residence at Cape Town, the services of the Lieutenant-Governor will then be required in the eastern division. The office is intended to be a permanent one. With respect to the war, Earl Grey observes in the most emphatic terms, that begun as it was with so little provocation by the Caffres and rebel Hottentots, it is absolutely necessary it should be prosecuted with unremitting vigour until it can be finished by their being reduced to complete and unconditional submission.

Without reference to His Lordship's instructions, we are happy to gather from the latest intelligence received from the frontier, that Sir Harry SmithEarl Grey's wigging despatch notwithstanding — was rapidly drawing hostilities to a close. He had taken the field in person, and letters dated Blinkwater, March 13th, state that the forces under his command had completely routed and turned the enemy out of their fortresses, wbich they had abandoned in dismay. Colonel Mitchell, with 1300 men, accomplished his part of the work without losing a man. Colonel Napier, in command of General Somerset's division, was equally successful, although he met with some loss. The casualties are stated as follows :— Of the 73rd, four killed ; two of the 73rd and two of the 43rd wounded ; of the 91st and 74th, ten wounded.

It is said that a considerable number of Caffres were slain, but the chief sufferers were the women and children, -who, being crowded together in the most difficult places, were more exposed to the action of the shells. The great body of the warriors, or fighting men, were supposed to bave retreated back to the Amatola. It was expected that they would be vigorously pursued, — an interior line of defence being also left to prevent then. 1 return to Waterkloof and the neighbouring ravines. Against such a force as Sir Harry was directing upon them

in all quarters, it seems impossibly thatfthe Cafftescould hold out much, longer.

With respect to political affairs, Earl Grey has expressed much surprise at the conduct of the local legislature in postponing the full consideration of the draft of the new Cape Constitution. His Lordship says: — " I must confess my surprise, that after the .subject had already been so much discussedand ednsjdered, the Legislative Council should have Ttfuhd it necessary, after reading the Ordinances a first time, to adjourn the second reading for the long period of two months." His surprise will not be diminished, observes the Commercial Advertiser,^ when he is made acquainted with the all but suc_ cessful efforts of Mr. Montagu to adjourn the second reading to a period indefinitely remote, and with his successful efforts in utterly demolishing his Lordship's Draft Ordinances which had " been so much discussed and cons idei'ed." *

The fears which had been entertained for the safety of H.M. steamer Magaera had happily subsided by her arrival in Simon's Bay on the 23rd March, with the Rifle Brigade, consisting of 650 rank and file, 18 women, and 29 children.

Lieutenant Eyre, in his report, dated 11th March,. says, — " We have penetrated a dense bush in eight different directions — burned a large number of huts, and killed a good number of Kafirs, — eleven were seen to-day, all heaped together, killed apparently by cannon shot or shell, and many others were also found this morning. We surprised a den, which I believe to be Macomo's head quarters. We took 130 women and children hidden in caves in an immense krantz. Among these women is one'of Macomo's wives, and there are two of his children. His wife had a quantity of ammunition in her possession. She says that Macomo went yesterday into Kafirland. We found all sorts of things concealed in caves — mealies, butter, clothes, blankets, pots and pans of all descriptions, a bullet mould, lead,, and some little ammunition. The troops have worked admirably. I propose bivouacking again in the bush, and going at them again.