e party among the
Tories, both in England and Ireland, gave rather open expression to
their desire that the Duke of Cumberland (King of Hanover), rather than
the rightful claimant, the Princess Victoria, should come to the throne
on the decease of William IV. Great indignation was excited at the time
by the supposed existence of a conspiracy to effect this object, for
the success of which there could have been no hope, so thorough was the
detestation of the people to the Duke of Cumberland, and so generous
their recollections of the Duke of Kent, and their feeling to his only
child--their rightful sovereign. Whatever might have been the feeling
of her majesty on these matters, she commanded the court to go into
mourning upon her uncle's decease.

COLONIAL AFFAIRS.

_The Cape of Good Hope_.--The earliest important events of the year
connected with our colonial empire occurred in the Cape settlements.
During the autumn and winter of the previous year the governor, Sir
Harry Smith, suppressed all indications of rebellion, deposed the
chief, Sandilia, and proclaimed his mother sutee in his stead. Sandilia,
however, prowled about the English borders making incursions for
plunder. Sir Harry directed a column, six hundred strong, under the
command of Colonel Mackinnon, to disperse the marauders. That officer
committed the error so common on the part of British commanders--he
marched without flanking parties, or an advanced guard, except a party
of Caffre police, who of course led him into an ambuscade, at the
expense of a number of officers and men killed and wounded. This success
on the part of the savages led to a general rising of the tribes,
especially the brave and cruel Gaikas; the English colonists lost much
property and many lives. No adequate means had been adopted either by
the government or colonists to guard against the deceit common among
uncivilized races. Sir Harry Smith, and the troops which he commanded,
were in imminent peril at Fort Cox. By the beginning of the year 1851
the Caffres had penetrated to the very heart of the colony. Sir Harry
Smith escaped from Fort Cox, at the head of a flying escort, to King
William's Town, where he established his head-quarters throughout the
war. On the 21st of January the first general action was fought at Fort
Hare and the Fingo village of Abee. The Caffres were the assailants,
and numbered about six thousand men. There were two 24-pounders in
Fort Hare, and their