In Jamaica, the cholera was disappearing. In
Savannah-le-Mar, where there had been nearly 400 deaths
from cholera, there were still a few isolated cases.
Several cases of cholera had broken out at Newcastle
among the troops. Whether any of them had proved
fatal was not known.
In British Guiana, the Court of Policy had held
several sittings, and the government plan relative to the
constitution had been brought forward. Several bills
of much importance to the colony had been passed. The
plan for a change of institutions in the colony, as brought
forward in the Court of Policy, was generally read with
satisfaction. The French steamer of war, Le Tartare,
had arrived in the Demerara river, bringing a part of
the crew of the shipwrecked bark Choice, 130 days from
Seringapatam, bound to Demerara, which vessel had
been abandoned by the crew in two boats, one of which
was picked up by the French steamer, having parted
company with the other one during the night. It is
supposed that the longboat, containing the captain and
others of the crew, must have perished, as the boat saved
had been at sea 12 days.—The weather in Demerara had
been showery, and the influenza was very prevalent;
the business of many estates being thrown back in
consequence, labourers and employers being alike affected.
Business had been very dull.
A Frightful Eruption of the long dormant volcano of
the Pelée Mountain, in Martinique, took place during
the night of August 5th. Like the great and memorable
eruption of the St. Vincent Soufriere in 1812, the
phenomenon at Martinique is described as having been
accompanied with "a noise similar to the approach of
thunder, still nearer and nearer, with a vibration that
affected the feelings and hearing." It appears, however,
that, beyond a layer of grey sand, gritty particles of
calcined earth, and favilla, found in the morning upon
the streets, houses, and shipping, as having been thrown
forth by the volcano in the night, the people of St.
Pierre were, up to the date of the accounts, uninformed
of the effects of the phenomenon.
The accounts from British America state that the
general election in the province of Nova Scotia for
members of parliament has resulted in a majority for the
existing government. The Provincial Secretary, the
Attorney-General, and Financial Secretary, leading
members of the cabinet, have been re-elected. The first
gentleman was returned for Cumberland county without
opposition. Several counties have partially or totally
changed sides in politics since the last election. The
construction of the railway from Halifax to Portland,
and through New Brunswick to Quebec, may be
considered as secured. That question has been one of the
prominent points in the election—the liberals being in
favour of, and the conservatives opposed to it. The
removal of the paraphernalia of the Canadian government
from Toronto to Quebec has been commenced.
The intelligence from the Cape of Good Hope come
down to the 1st of August. It continues to be very
unsatisfactory. For the last six months Sir Harry Smith
has been waiting for reinforcements sufficient to enable
him to execute a great concerted movement on the
mountain fastnesses of the Kafirs in the Amatola
mountains, and thus it was assumed to put a brilliant and
victorious end to the war. Between the 26th and 30th
of June Sir Harry Smith and General Somerset carried
out this operation by concerted movements with great
success, so far as the immediate result was concerned.
The execution of the manœuvre was as follows: On
the 24th of June, the three great divisions of the army
converged towards the southern side of the Kafir
fastnesses. In order to intercept any retreat of the enemy
in a northern direction, Captain Tylden's detachment
was brought down from Whittlesea, where they had
been employed in protecting the northern frontier
against the Tambookies. By the 30th, the three
divisions succeeded in clambering through the Amatolas, at
the expense of six killed and fifteen wounded; but, when
they had got to the plain, they found the coast clear—
the enemy was flown. It turned out that, the moment
Captain Tylden had descended from Whittlesea on the
Arnatolas, the Tambookies descended from Whittlesea;
whereupon Captain Tylden retreated, and so did the
Kafirs. Even the anticipated booty was not forthcoming.
Only 2,200 head of cattle and 50 horses were found
by our troops in the whole mountain district; for the
enemy had sent off the remainder of their herds some
time previously to a place of security. On the other
hand, the Kafirs and their Hottentot allies, dislodged
from the Amatolas, spread themselves in bands of
marauders over the colony, and did an amount of
mischief, compared with which all that had previously
been suffered is trivial. A large tract of country in the
interior of the colony has been devastated, the houses
burnt, and the inhabitants expelled or slain; and, in
revenge for the 2,200 head of cattle captured by Sir
Harry Smith in the Amatolas, no less than 20,000
Merino sheep, 3,000 head of cattle, and 300 horses have
been swept away by the barbarian invader. In another
part of our Cape possessions, the Orange River
Sovereignty, the British resident, Major Warden, has sustained
a defeat in an attempt at armed mediation between the
differences of two native chiefs. Major Warden
espoused the cause of Maroko, chief of the Barolongs,
against Moltizani, chief of the Lighoya Basutos; and
being joined by a Griqua force under Adam Kok,
marched at the head of 200 European troops and levies,
and 900 Barolongs and Griquas, against Moltizani.
The latter is supposed to have been supported by
Moshesh, the paramount chief of the Basutos; and the
consequence was, that Major Warden was totally
overwhelmed by thousands, and fought his way back to the
Wesleyan station of Plattenberg with great difficulty.
His Europeans alone saved him. He was assembling a
fresh force to renew his operations; and a war in the
interior with Moshesh and the whole of his great tribe
was likely to be added to our present war with the
Gaika Kafirs on the coast.
Intelligence from Auckland in New Zealand has
been received to the 20th of April. A disturbance,
which at first appeared alarming, had taken place
among the Maoris, in consequence of one of the Maori
police having struck one of the Ngalipoa tribe, in an
attempt to rescue a prisoner of that tribe from custody,
a large body of the natives came in their canoes to
demand vengeance. They were completely armed, and
well-furnished with ammunition. They danced their
war-dance on the beach. The governor, Sir George
Grey, had returned a few days before from the southern
settlements. Orders were issued to the troops, and to
Captain Oliver, of her Majesty's ship Fly, to hold
themselves in readiness for immediate action. Sir
George Grey, attended by the principal military and
civil officers of the government, proceeded to Mechanics'
Bay, where his Excellency, summoning the tribes,
demanded of them the reason of their unlawful
assembling under arms. They replied their quarrel was
not with the Europeans, but that a native policeman
had grossly insulted a native chief, and that the
offender must be delivered to his particular tribe, to be
dealt with according to the laws of his nation. To this
demand, of course, only one reply could be made. The
governor peremptorily commanded them to launch their
canoes, and leave the bay within two hours; at the
expiration of which time, if any remained, the artillery
and guns of the Fly should open fire upon them without
further delay. The Maoris knew the futility of
resistance, and obeyed the order without further
disturbance.
Advices have been received from Sidney to the 2nd of
June. The almost exclusive topic is the Discovery of
Gold in the Bathurst district. It was found, it is said,
that the country, from the Mountain Range to an
indefinite extent in the interior, is one immense gold-field.
The Sydney papers contain many letters on the subject.
An extensive landowner in the Bathurst district writes:
—"We are all in the greatest excitement here, some
from joy, some from despair, anticipating famine,
disease, and death. I am glad to hear the military are
coming up; we shall sadly want them. Went to the
diggings, and in three hours got one ounce of gold in
one bright lump. Carriage is so high I am afraid we
shall not be able to get up supplies." Another letter
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