Given at the Cape of Good Hope this 3rd day of April, 1852. By Command of His Excellency the Governor, JOHN MONTAGU. By order of the Legislative Council, CHARLES J. BOYLE, Clerk of the Council. Extract of GENERAL ORDER by His Excellency Lieut.-General the Hon. GEORGE CATHCART. Head Quarters, King William's Town, April 11, 1852. The Commander-in-Chief desires to record, as part of the operations in progress under the disposition of His Excellency's predecessor, Sir Harry Smith, the energetic exertions of the column under Lieutenant-Colonel Eyre, in the Keiskamma Hoek, on the 7th instant, when about 800 head of cattle and 15 horses, belonging to "Auta," were captured in one of the most formidable positions of the Amatolas, in spite of every opposition of the enemy. In this affair, our casualties were one officer, Captain Gore, 43rd Regiment, killed at the head of his company, leading them on with the utmost gallantry, and six men wounded. (Signed) A. J. CLOETE, Quartermaster-General. (True Extract) JOHN GARVOCK, Lieutenant-Colonel. Copy of a DESPATCH from Governor Lieut.-General the Hon. G. CATHCART to Earl GREY. King William's Town, April 20, 1852. MY LORD,-I have the honour to acquaint you, that after closing my despatch to your Lordship, dated Cape Town, 5th April, 1852, I embarked that afternoon on board Her Majesty's ship" Styx," and proceeded on my voyage to the Buffalo Mouth. I arrived at East London on the night of the 8th April, and next morning (9th) having landed the horses which I had brought with me, an operation which, although the bar was in a favourable staté, is always one of some difficulty, I was able to proceed at noon, and reached King William's Town before midnight. On the following morning (10th) I had a most satisfactory interview with LieutenantGeneral Sir Harry Smith, who devoted the whole of that day to the purpose of giving me every insight into the affairs of the colony generally, and more particularly of the eastern frontier, in his power to communicate, and he took his de parture the following morning for Cape Town by the return of the "Styx." Sir H. Smith gave me the perusal of his last despatch intended for your Lordship, in which he has brought down the military affairs of this frontier to the period of my arrival to relieve him in the command. Since then, reports have arrived of three affairs, one in which a patrol of a detachment of MajorGeneral Somerset's command, with which he was operating in the open country north of the Amatolas; and another of Major Tottenham, of the 12th Lancers, on the Kabousie River, to the eastward of the Amatolas; and a third, in which Lieutenant-Colonel Eyre, in entering the Amatola country, on his return to his camp at Keiskamma Hoek, fell in with some cattle, supposed to belong to the Sub-chief Auta, in the northeastern corner of that mountain district, which he captured, but not without serious resistance, and some loss in wounded: and one officer, Captain Gore of the 43rd, I regret to say, fell on this occasion. I have desired the Quartermaster-General to prepare a detailed statement of these affairs from the period at which Sir Harry Smith's last despatch was closed, and they require no comment from me, as they rest upon the arrangements of my predecessor, whose views and intentions are explained in his despatch. I have now to state to your Lordship my own views, and the means by which I purpose carrying into effect, with the object of providing for the better security of the frontier districts of the colony within the boundary, the speedy termination of this Kaffrarian war, and such measures, as at present advised, I consider most likely to prevent a recurrence of so serious and expensive a calamity. I thought it necessary, on assuming the command, to lose no time in notifying to all the inhabitants of Kaffraria my views and intentions towards them. These are contained in the enclosed copy of my Proclamation, which I have addressed • All enclosures of Summaries, General Orders, &c., not printed in the volume, are to be found in the Blue Book of May 31st, 1853. by name to all those chiefs, their council and people, who have remained faithful to their allegiance during these rebellious times; and I have alluded to the course which I consider it to be my duty to pursue towards the Chief Sandilli and the subchiefs associated with him in rebellion, to mark that I will not treat with him, but consider him an outlaw whilst on this side of the Kei. I drew up this notice in concert with the Assistant Commissioner, Major Hogge, and Colonel Mackinnon, who are at present with me; and I also availed myself of the experience and great knowledge of Kafir character possessed by the sub-commissioner to the T'Slambie tribes, Captain Maclean, to whose firm and judicious management the fidelity of the T'Slambie tribes may in great measure be ascribed. This lastnamed officer has undertaken the promulgation of the notice; and, judging from the rapidity with which they carry on their communications by messengers and signals, I have no doubt it is long ere this known throughout Kafirland. It is my intention to keep permanent possession of the Amatolas, and with that view to leave a sufficient force under Colonel Eyre in the Keiskamma Hoek, which commands the sources of that river, and the most fertile feeding ground. I intend shortly to visit the spot, and to cause to be erected a stone tower or blockhouse, according as materials may suit, which may suffice at little expense as a rallying point for a few men, the fire of whose musketry from the top might effectually protect those left in the camp, when the troops might be out on patrol, from any sudden attack by an enemy who is by no means to be despised, who has not yet evacuated that country, and would return in full force if allowed to do so; but even should this tower be superfluous as a defensive precaution, I have a still more important object in view, which is that of a demonstration of the intention of permanent occupancy. It is obvious, that whilst not only an invitation but an injunction has gone forth to Sandilli and all his rebel associates to evacuate the Amatolas, and pass beyond the Kei, it is a contradiction to place troops on the open country of the Kabousie to intercept them, and therefore I have recalled the cavalry detachment under the command of Major Tottenham of the 12th Lancers, to King William's Town, till further orders. They will be replaced when the Gaikas shall have been expelled, and the object may then be to prevent their return. I have left Lieutenant-Colonel Michel at his camp in the Leneah Valley, which is to the right of Fort Cox, and more immediately commands the western side of the Amatola country, in the direction of Mount Macdonald; but I have caused Lieutenant-Colonel Perceval of the 12th Regiment, to move with his detachment from his camp on the Quilli Quilli River to the southward, following the course of the Keiskamma, passing through the country of the Chiefs Stock and Seyolo, now infested by banditti, and, crossing that and the Fish River, return to his former quarters at Botha's Hill, on the right bank of the Fish River, covering Graham's Town. General Somerset has come into King William's Town from the neighbourhood of the Windvogel-berg, with a small escort, for the purpose of communicating with me, having passed across the open country to the eastward of the Amatolas. By all accounts which I have received there can be no doubt that the Kroome Range, in which the Waterkloof is situated, and which is only about twelve miles from Fort Beaufort within the colony, is again occupied by Macomo and his followers, associated with rebel Hottentots; and it is likely that other desperate characters may seek for shelter in this stronghold, to the terror and annoyance of neighbouring farmers. I therefore intend to carry out the measure which I had long since formed, founded on the information of which I was already in possession, and in which Sir Harry Smith entirely concurred, that of occupying two or three posts connected with each other, and one in force at Bear's Farm with the Rifle Brigade and some cavalry, from whence, surrounding the place, they can command |