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- INS ANITY AMONG THE UPPER…

.;'.A PRIMITIVE STATE. ';^

BELLS.

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THE KAFFIR WAR. I

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THE KAFFIR WAR. I A despatch, dated Capetown, January 15th, has the following: The state of affairs on thefrentier is unchanged. The rebel Kaffirs swarm in East London division, especially near the Kei. From Komgha Colonel Lambert, with a force 600 strong, went out against them, but thought it better to defer an attack until reinforcements should arrive. He re- lieved and brought away a garrison of the 24th Begi- ment at Fort Jeupetu. In less than an hour after- wards the fort was occupied by the natives. At the junction of the Isomo and the Kei the Gaikas atacked the Fiogoes, but were repulsed with a loss of eighteen killed and many wounded. On the 14th the troops in the Transkei, under Colonel Glynn, encountered a force of from 1000 to 1200 Galekas. The fight lasted from four to six p.m. The enemy was defeated with fifty killed. Our casual- ties are five soldiers wounded, two severely. Volunteers and Burghers from the eastern and western districts are pressing to the front. A united movement by Colonel Lambert's and Colonel Glynn's columns on the rebels near the Kei is expected to be made in a day or two. It is feared that the war will last for a year at least. The governor has taken up his residence at King William's Town for six months. The anxiety regarding Captain Elton's party has been relieved by the arrival at Lovedale of Rev. Dr. Stewart, from Lake Nyassa, who reports the mission and party all well. The Oap" Standard and Mail states that the gloom which had settled down upon the colony, consequent upon the Kaffir rebellion, has deepened, and the ap- prehension of a deadly conflict between the colonists and the natives has spread in every direction. The position of the people of British Oaffraria is most precarious. # Bodies of armed natives swarm in every direction. Isolated farm-houses and stores are attacked, the inmates are put to night or murdered, and the greatest difficulty is experienced in keeping up communications by the main roads. The Hon. J.X. Merriiran, the Chief Com- missioner of Public Works, who up to the present has been in attendance upon his Excellency the Governor, and who has been charged with the chief conduct of the war, has been recalled to the colony, and the Colonial Secretary, the Hon. J. O. Molteno, has taken his place at head-quarters. In the Transkei terri- tory nothing of a definite character has been effected for several days. Frequent engagements between her Majesty's forces and the Galekas are reported, and in every instance the enemy seems to have been repulsed, but only to appear in another quarter in undi- minished force. The Argus received the following tele- grams from King William's Town as the mail was leaving: Volunteers returned on Saturday evening, having captured at Newlands fifteen natives supposed to be implicated in the murder of Sainton and Brown. Two Kaffirs with loaded firearms were shot; a number of assegais looted in one hut, belonging to Christian natives; be pounds of powder and half a bucket of newly-cast bullets are said to have been found; also a packet of correspondence from natives in the Civil Service, which will be translated. A Capetown despatch (vi& Madeira), January 22nd, is as follows: The Kaffirs have been hunted out of Ohichaba Valley by a joint motement of the troops and auxiliaries under Colonels Lambert and Glyn and Captain Brabant. Large quantities of stock were captured. The Burghers under tsrost had a brush with them, and killed 100. The TSnemy are now in the fastnesses of Kabousie and Kei. The natives to the west of Oaffraria are unsettled. Two thousand mounted Europeans are under arms on the frontier. Colonel Griffith has been placed in command of the Burgher forces and publicly decorated by the Governor with the order of O.M.G. Sir Bartle Frere is said to look careworn and aged. It was hoped that the war- cloud would soon disperse. In Zululand Cetywayo's warriors had a free fight amang themselves. The Active has returned to Simon's Bay. The Danae pro- ceeds up the coast, landing men at Natal for service on shore. AN ENGAGEMENT. The force under command of Captain Acklom, con- sisting of forty men 88th Oonnaught Bangers, twenty F.A.M. Police, under Major Moore, and three volun- teen-viz., Mr. Montague White, Mr Barnett, and Deputy-Commissary Warneford-Ieft Komgha at 11 a.m., with orders to take up a position at Draaiboseh and secure the transit of the mails to and from King William's Town. The enemy, numbering some 400 horse and 700 or 800 foot, were perceived on the hills to the right, at a distance of some four miles, and our small force was placed in loose order on the summit of the hill above Savage's shop, and overlook- ing both it and the ruins of the Draaiboseh hotel. It became apparent that the intention of the enemy was to attack at once and in full force, and before re- inforcements could be sent to us from Komgha, and, to get timely notice of such reinforcements, the enemy's horse were scattered over the whole of the neighbour- ing hills. In the meantime their infantry advanced steadily to the attack, and at about 2.15 p.m. had arrived at a hill some 600 yards from our position. Here, owing to a dip in the ground, they were lost sight of for a few moments, when their advance was seen en- deavouring to turn our right flank, and it thus became necessary to change our front to oppose them. This was done at the double and as expedi- tiously as possible, but the enemy, led on by the Chiefs Mackinnon and Kiva, mistaking this manoeuvre for a retreat, rushed up the hill with their whole force and with loud yells to the attack. Some confusion ensued, especially among the police, and rendered worse by the oxan of the one ammunition waggon running away. At this crisis and in the face of the over- whelming numbers of the enemy, Major Moore and Captain Acklom successfully stayed the momentary panic, and, sword in hand, followed by as many as they could at once rally, advanced and charged the foe, their, example and that of the others who rallied round them (among whom were conspicuous Inspector White, of the police, and Messrs. Montague White, Warneford, and Barnett) soon stayed and finally broke the rest of the savages, who, throughout the remainder of the afternoon, confined themselves to attacks in the rear of the different positions we were forced to take up; and for one hour and a half it was simply driving the foe from one side to see a new attack at once proceeding from another. At about 3.30 our ammunition had become nearly exhausted, and Major Moore and Captain Acklom determined to save the last few rounds for an attempt to cut their way through the enemy towards Komgha, whence they well knew they could depend upon relief soon arriving. This our force did; and shooting down one or two of the enemy, who in numbers held a kloof on our right, we reached Savage's shop on the Komgha road, and a few moments afterwards a ringing cheer from the men proclaimed the first view of arriving reinforcements. Soon after Colonel Lambert and his men were with us, and the day was over. The losses on our side were fortunately few. Two soldiers and two police killed or missing, two native drivers killed and some few men wounded. The horses of Inspector White, of Deputy. Commissary Warneford, and of Messrs. White and Barnett were shot under them, and the; helmets of several of the men were riddled with bullets. Mar- vellous was the escape of Major Moore and of Cap- tain Acklom; the former walking his horse as if on parade throughout the whole afternoon and under a continous nre; the latter, equally cool, exposing him- self whenever he deemed it might have the effect of steadying his men." A private letter from a gentleman who was with the force aa a volunteer says: "I confess I felt a little queer, looking at our poor tiny force and then look- ing at the dense masses of the savages thirsting far us. Well, on they came to within some 150 yards, when our- men began firing, and, I am sorry to say, firing most wildly. It did not stop them in the least, they outflanked us, and finally, surrounded us, but not before there was a scare among our police, who threw themselves on their horses and (five or six of them) galloped through and away. This made for a moment a panic among our men, and also for a moment I resigned all hope'of ever seeing you little people again in this world. By God's mercy, however, we rallied our few men, and gave them a volley in front, and then cheering as hard as we could we ran out to meet them and they turned Had they closed in then we should have been butchered to a man. From that time for some three hours and a half we held the topoithehill, first breaking them back on one side and then on another, because directly we advanced on one body another would at once in turn advance against us in the rear. Just then the discovery was made that the oxen in our ammunition cart had bolted with cart and all, and that there was no more ammunition left than was contained in the men's pouches-some six rounds on the average ^so it was determined to save these for a last emergency and fight our way to Flanagan's shop, and, if possible on to Komgha. So away we went, cheering as hard as we could (I am as hoarse as a raven this morning from it), and driving them to our right and left. We had not gone quite as far as the shop before we were glad- dened by the sight of some volunteers riding hard up from Komgha, and from them we heard that 100 men of the 88th and every policeman from Komgha were close to us marching to our assistance. So we once more turned again and beat them off. And thus ended thedav," 1

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DISASTERS AT SEA.

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THE ROAD OF THE DEAD.

THE WARRINGTON POISONING CASE.

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MR. H. M. STANLEY AND HIS…

A REMARKABLE PLOT. tbft

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ALLEGED LOAN SWINDLE. If;,,