CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 80, 18 July 1846, Page 4

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

{From the Nelson Examiner,]

We received by the Ralph Bernal Cape papers to the 11 th of April. The Government Gazette of April -2d contains a declaration of war against the Kafir tribes on the Eastern frontier of the colony. A spirit-of rebellion and discontent had been apparent for some time among the Kafirs, as tbey iKid viewed with great jealousy the establishment of military posts within the territory ceded to Government by tete treaties. The immediate cause of ■-the war, however, was this-: A Kafir who had committed a crime, not in KahViand, but in the colony, was apprehended at Fo;t Beaufort, and in the common course oi law sent to Graham's Town for trial. A number of armed Kafirs burst into the colony, attacked the persons in charge of the prisoner, rescued him by force, and then murdered and mutilated a colonist to whom the culprit had been fastened for security. The Government immediately sent to tbe chiefs of the tribe, demanding the murderers, and the restoration of the prisoner rescued; this was not complied with, but disputed on the most frivolous pretences. The Government hereupon proceeded in the most energetic manner to prepare (or war. The military posts were reinforced, the armed burghers called out, and ail missionaries and traders living in Kafirland returned within the colony lor security. These measures alarmed the more prudent among the chiefs; and it is believed that the paramount chief, Saudilli, will endeavour, by complying with the demand of the' Government, 40 avert the blow which threatens his people. The Governor, Sir P. Maitland, was on the point of leaving Cape Town for the frontier, to direct the military operations, and adopt measures to give the colonists greater security in future against Kafir marauders. The Kafirs k can muster 20,000 men, 4,Qdo of whufisfare mouut|d. Three ships were totally wrecked ,in Algoa Bay on the 25th..-or March, the barque Susan, the brig Blackaller, and the schooner Jim Crow. The former was loading for Mauritius, and ihe latter for London, and each had the greater part of her €argo on board. Only one life was lost. The interior of the colony had suffered greaily from drought, and the grain crops had failed in consequence. The effor.s of tho British Government to put down the slave trade on the coast of Africa are as unremitting as everf and if all the ships employed iv the service are as successful as the one mentioned in the following extract, the losses to those concerned in the traffic must be very great: — " We have been informed by our correspondent in Simon's Bay of the arrival, on the 24th ultimo., of H.M. Sloop MHline, Commander Crawford, R.N., after an successful cruise in the Mozambique. Since the capture of the bat que Diana (which vessel arrived here in charge of Lieut. Mends, in December last,) the Mutine has taken three other prizes, one of them a large ship of about 500 tons, now on her way to the Cape, in charge of that highly meritorious and deserving officer Mr. T. T. Furneaux, mate; whose zeal and ability Commander Crawford has before had occasion to extol. *• What gives greater eclat to the capture of tbis vessel is, that she had escaped from H.M.S. Helena, the two Portuguese men-of-war, and their boats; but after a most exciting chase of nearly seven hours and a-half, the Mutine (although at starting the slaver was fourteen miles dead to windward) came in glorjous style up with and captured'her. Her name is the Amelia, without either papers or colours. •' This makes the tenth prize taken by this beautiful vessel in the short space of twelve months, she having arrived on this station on the 14th March, 1845, only. So great, indsed, has been her success, that the only executive officer on board, on her arrival here, was the commander, all the lieutenants and other officers being away in prizes : the seamanlike zeal and ability ol this officer have been conspi« cuouily displayed ; the whole responsibility of the navigation, as well as the other duties of the ship devolving on him. »• We had almost forgotten to state that the Mutine was accompanied in by a small vessel, with slaves on board captured on their way to Zanzibar, from the river Mozamba, where the slaves had been purchased." ; Wreck of the French Ship «'. Suffren," at Natal.—We are sorry to hear that the French ship Suffren, Capt. U. Weisbrod, 293 tons, which arrived at Natal from Bourbon in ballast, tor a cargo of cattle, was driven onthe bar on the 17th inst., and has become wreck. It appears that the Suffren'had anchored outside the bur, and that the having completed his purchases, commenced shipping' them a fjw days before the above catastrophe. ' tip wards of thirty- head of

.cattle had already been put or. board, out of which some six or eight head had died; when a strong SrlTwind fprang up and it was that the vessel had parted her cable. Ihe captain, was unfortunately on shore, and the vessel drifted broadside on toward the bar.upon which .he struck. The ri.ing at the time, and the sailors commenced making a raft to get on shore, but. signals were made- to* them from the shore that there was no danger/tlint they had better ieep to the ship until they could be taken off, which was subsequently done. The Suffren now -lies a total wreck, having her back'brokeu. No lives Wc-re lost.

New Zealand.—Tbe intelligence fVom .Port Nicholson, which appears in another part of tbU morning's Herald, is moat important. Not that the skirmish winch took place between the gallant party under Lieut. Page and the natives of the Hutt, is of itself of niueli consequence, (although the loss, considering the number oMroops engaged, was very severe,-) but it shows on the part of the natives of-Hie south a determination to resist any force that is net sufficient to crush them; and that they are not intimidated by the results of tbe engagements between Heki and the troops. in the noffh. It is reported in town that by -the v last arrival from Auckland, Governor Grey intimated-his opinion that with less than two thousand troops it will be impossible to hold the various posts in New Zealand, which It will be requisite to hold tv afford efficient protection to ihe settlers, and pracical men well acquainted with the country say that His Excellency's estimate is certainly not exaggerated. This suggests the very important question of who is to pay for the maintenance of such an army, which at a moderate computation would cost nearly a quarier of a million of money every year? The colony cannot pay the amount, and will the return which the mother country will ob» tain, render it probable that Parliament will sanction such an expenditure ? To redeem the character of the British army, the Goverment may, and probably will, send out a force which will -render resistance on the part of the natives useless, and they will then disperse, to unite again as soon as the troops are withdrawn ; but as for a permanent military occupation of the whole of tbe northern island, we do noi expect it will be undertaken. The unfortunate settlers have a claim for protection, but except in the immediate neighbourhood of Auckland and Port NSiholsof?, we do sot expect it/ will bj permanently afforded them, and if th>t should Be tbe ultimate"detrmination of the Government, some oompen ation must be afforded to thoie who will have t> leave New Zealand. The most effi dent assis lance that can be given to them will be to enable them to become settlers in Au tralia, and the precedent set when Norfolk Island was abandoned some forty years since might be adopted. Let a tract of country between Tw >fohl Bay and Maneroo, or on the banks of the Richmond, or anywhere else where a ! sufficient quantity of good country can be I found conveniently situated, be surveyed j and divided into small farms fur the New Zealand settlers, who, as they have paid, dearly paid, for their land in New Zealand,- should have grants made to them here, passages being provided for them and rations for twelve months. Those who have a little capital would soon get on in the world, and those Who have not must become labourers, and endeavour to earn some. This advice will of course be unpalatable to the New Z aland speculators; but we have little doubt that some such scheme will ultimately be adopted. To return, however, to Port Niehols >n. The inhabitants were fearino- an attack upon ..Wellington in force ; but they are so well on the a'ert, and have such a large body of troops, and a frigate in the harbour, that there is not much reason to think the town in danger, especially as a very few days would elapse before additional assistance arrived from Auckland. The next news will be of great interest. —Sydney Morning Herald, June 17. The hiring establishment in Campbellstreet, Hobart Town, has been broken up, and ihe mim sent to the Peniteniiary—in consequence, it is said, of a recent notification from of a determination to do away with transportation to Van Diemen's L'ind. A Squirrel's Retreat.—A younjr lady residing in the neighbourhood of Tarwin, has two pet squirrels, in whose frolics she naturally takes considerable interest; during a recent visit of some friends they were taken out of their cages, when one of them suddenly disappeared ; anxious search was nude, but without effect, till a shriek from one of.the rural beauties of the party led to ihe startling discovery, that the mischievous little animal in a bustle to escape had actually taken refuge in that part of the young lady's vestments which is sup. posed'to give additional grace to the female figure.

WHOLESALE PRICES CURRe^. CORRECTED UP TO LAST NlQ H f, ' The prices of Spirits and Tobacco are in n