DEATH OF CAPTAIN DONOVAN AND LIEUTENANT WARD.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VI, Issue 274, 2 August 1878, Page 16

DEATH OF CAPTAIN DONOVAN AND LIEUTENANT WARD.

The following full particulars of the death of these two brave officers has been given to us (Cape Mercury) by an eye-witness :—: — On Thursday morning the Diamond Field Horse, numbering some fifty men, proceeded on foot in skirmishing order, to scour a portion of the Perie Bush, or Amatolas. They were supported by Captain Brabant's troop, and a number of Fingoes. After walking all day and seeing very few Kafir mer, but numbers of women, about three o'clock in the afternoon they heard a noise of breaking boughs of trees. Somsone called out " The cattle are being driven out," and there was a general push forward to ascertain the cause ; Colonel'^k Warren was in front, revolver in hand, when the stem of a tree, which had been broken off and was merely resting on one of its boughs, suddenly, without the least warning, fell directly on him, crushing him to the earth. He was eventually conveyed to Captain Brabant's camp, where every attention was paid to him, and his friends will be glad to hear that he has escaped any serious injury save a severe shaking and general shock to the system. The private carriage of the Governor was sent out to convey him to town, but he preferred to remain where he was at his own camp. Almost immediately after the accident to the Colonel, Captain Donovan advanced and suddenly came to the edge of a deep krantz. On looking down he saw two Kafirs running out of the bush below, shouting, "Here they are, boys," and levelled his revolver to shoot, when he was attracted by some Kafirs who had remained behind, whom he evidently saw were attempting to take his life, for he was observed to turn his revolver and fire. Simultaneously the two shots rang out, and Donovan received a bullet in the mouth, coming out at the back of his head, and he fell lifeless without a groan. It is a wretched consolation to know that he and his adversary fell dead together, as his revolver bullet struck the Kafir full in the ferehead, penetrating the brain. Lieutenant Ward was shot within minute of his brother officer, and fell within a few feet of bis body. A ball entered above the ear, passing right through his head ; he lived about three minutes, and endeavpured to speak, but owing to the rush of blood from his mouth, it was impossible to understand what he wished to say. After the forces had left the bush, a noise was heard, as of the bleating of sheep and goats — this was done by the women to tiy and induce the men to return in search of stock. Throughout the day, not more than twenty-five Kafir meu were seen ; but there must have been at least one thousand five hundred women in the portion of the bush that was entered. The women were there to act as a barrier between our forces and the Kafirs, and to give notice to their side of any threatened danger.

Ir sounds almost fabulous, but it is a simple fact that the energy and discernment of Pius IX. has given to the Catholic Church no less than 213 new episcopal sees exclusive of those for which he signed the decree only a few days before his death, and which now form the Scottish Hierarchy, erected by his successor on the 28th of March, 1878. Of these, nearly 200 new bishoprics are erected without any concordat or other concert with the civil power, and thus it may be said that a new era has been created for the relation of the Church and State, more especially in those lands to which mankind is looking as the seed-plots of human energy, and the advanced guard of the great human army in its onward career towards the occupation and control of the whole globe. To us, as Englishmen, it is of special interest to note that in these sees more than a hundred are occupied by subjects of our sovereign, and nearly two hundred by those who speak our tongue as their vernacular. This great increment of the organic structure of the Catholic Church, therefore, represents in the main the rise of a new order of things. While the " liberal " press has been prating and drivelling of the retrogade tendencies of the Pope, and complaining that he will not " reconcile himself to accomplished facts," he has been for more than thirty years building up in all lands a " free Church in free States ;" and in none more than in our own land and its world-wide dependencies. — Dublin Rcvieiv. Since 1870 the Freethinkers in Rome and Italy have every opportunity of showing their hatred to Christianity. In the month of March, 1871, the Society of Freethinkers in Pisa determined to have a banquet on Good. Friday, and issued a notice that " the constitution of our society prescribes that on the day on which the Catholic Church commemorates the death of her founder, the members of the society should meet together at a brotherly banquet to affirm the principles which they profess, and make a public act of protest against Catholicism." The Freethinkers of Venice sent their congratulations to their brethren in Pisa on the occasion of that sacrilegious banquet on Good Friday in 1871. Another banquet was intended to be held by the Italian Freethinkers in Rome in the Piazza Barberini. This year the Freethinkers of Florence have taken another method of exhibiting their enmity to the Catholic Church. They issued the following circular :—": — " On Thursday (sic), April 18th, 1878, the day on which the Holy Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church bewails the death of Jesus Christ, the people of Florence will see the glorious and triumphant resurrection of Satan, a daily political journal for the people. Satan will issue his cries in the morning hours of each day." The Florentine admirers of his Satanic Majesty appear to have forgotten that it is on Good Friday, not on Thursday in Holy Week, that the Church commemorates the death of the Redeemer. — Tablet. The Rev. George Rigg, Bishop-elect of Dunkeld, arrived in Rome on the morning of the 30th April, and proceeded Jto the Scots College, where he will remain until after his consecration. A secies of performances are now being given by the Civil Service Dramatic Chub at the Princess Theatre, Dunedin, in aid of the Telegraph Rowing Club. Several amateurs of high reputation are taking a leading part in the affair. Mr. Hermann Rose of George-street, Dunedin, is engaged in the manufacture of genuine German sausages. He ia prepared to supply the trade on advantageous terms.