SWAZIS ON THE WARPATH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 212, 7 September 1899, Page 5

SWAZIS ON THE WARPATH.

The Swazis threaten, in the event of war, to attack the Boers. [Swaziland is a small native state, almost surrounded by the Transvaal on the north, west, and south, but bounded on the east by Delagoa Bay, territory of Portugese East Africa and Tongaland. The Swazis are a section of the Zulu race. At the conclusion of the war with the Transvaal Boers, their boundary ■was carefully delimited, and the independence of Swaziland agreed to. The Transvaal, however, claimed that the country was theirs by a convention made in '81, whereby it was ceded to them in consideration of their preventing all Boer treks into Mashonaland. Ultimately, by the convention of December "!M, the Transvaal Governmemt was secured "in all rights and powers of protection, legislation, jurisdiction, and administration over Swaziland and the inhabitants thereof," and a Special Commissioner was appointed to superintend the administration. The young King Bunu, however, was recognised as paramount Chief, and it was agreed that the management of the internal affairs of the natives should be administered by the native chiefs in accordance with their own laws and customs, and the natives were guaranteed in their continued use and possession of their land land and of all their grazing an agricultural rights. Provision wras also made against the imposition of any excessive hut tax, and against the Bale or supply of intoxicating liquors to the natives. The capital is Embekelwini. A proclamation was issued (February 26th, '98) repealing all former laws with two small exceptions, and applying the Transvaal laws, expept as to customs, to the country.]