THE WARLIKE BASUTOS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIV, Issue 7695, 12 December 1899, Page 1

THE WARLIKE BASUTOS.

Many people, says the London Daily Mail, thoroughly conversant with the situation in • outh Africa now believe that the great tribe of the Basuto3 will seize the present opportunity to wreak During half a century they suffered injustice, tyranny, and cruelty at the hands of the l.'utch in the Transvaal and Orange Free State. Not unnaturally, the Basutos hate the Boers in the most vindictive spirit. Although some natives described in the despatches as Basutos are alleged to be helping the Boers in the field, the general opinion among well-informed people from South Africa is that the Basutos as a body will, on their own initiative, take the field against the Boers. Lerothodi (pronounced Loritori), the paramount chief of the Basutos, is believed to be loyal to the British. His son, with 150 natives, has—as the Daily Mail po T nted out recently—sought protection from the Boers under the British flag. Should the Basutos rise they will form a formidable enemy. Lerothodi can put 50,000 well-armed, wellmounted, fearless, and reckless men in the field. Half of these would be armed with rifleß, the rest with battle-axe 3 and assegais. Lerothodi is a brave and skilled leader, as he has proved on more than one occasion. The Basutos as a race have many admirable traits. Of all the barbarian tribes in South Africa they are probably the pick, being, for a savage race, thrifty, industrious, and enterprising. They are never so happy as when cultivating their mealies and corn, the aericultural districts of Bisutoland being cub up into numberless patches of wellcultivated ground. The produce of B'sutoland in 1892 was valued at a quarter of a million pounds sterling. So rich and productive is the soil that no part of the world could Burpasa Basutoland as a wheatproducing area if the industry were carried on under the guidance of expert farmers well supplied with modern implements. One fact that stamps the Basuto as a superior savage is the comfortable, rational domestic life he leads. Many Basutos at the present time live in well-built, substantial houses, though the majority still clings to the huts of their rude forefathers. Basutoland is a rugged country. For the most part it is a jumbled mass of great bleak mountains, reminding one of the Alps without the snow and ice of Switzerland. These mountains are believed to hide vast mineral wealth; bub the Basutos discourage the prospector and miner. Tn fact, no white man is allowed in the country unless he can show some good reason for being there The miner and prospector would hardly be considered to have " trood reason"; hence the mineral resources of Basutoland are practically unworked. Another remarkable provision of the Government is that no person, black or white, shall own land. They may obtain permission to occupy and cultivate it, ! and build houses or huts on it: but all land in the territory is held on the communal principle. . Every traveller in Basutoland comes home with weird stories of the mountain caves. Many of these were one the homes of great chiefs. So»i, the last Bushman chief, lived in a cave within a few miles of the village of Tiakenels, Sir Marshall'Clarke, who recently visited the cave, writes:—"lt Is a simple. o-er-hanglog rock, the wall in rear being covered with pictures ot hunting scenes, war dances, predatory expeditions, and various wild animals. " In all the fighting pictures the is shown victorious. He is drawing the bow with tiny' bands, or balancing himself on shapely feet throwing the assegai His foes, on the other hand, are exhibited with disproportionately big bands, fleeing on calfless legs atuck like broom handles into the middle , of their feet." . . The most fimous cave in Basutoland 13 situated close to Maseru, near the top of a nliff 1200 ft high. Ib is known as Litlosa's or Lethlasa's cave. This cavern is 40ft high and is capable of sheltering over 300 warriors and a number of horses. The man to whom the Baßutos owe their Booial superiority—if one may apply such a term to a savage race—over the other South African tribes was Mosheßh. undoubtedly the most sagacious -barbarian chief the country has produced. He-it was who organised the Baßutos aB a nation;, he consolidated neighboring tribes, and by war and diplomacy widened the borders of nia

country. He abolished witchcraft and the atrocities of " smeiling out." Although he has been dead 30 years, the memory of Moshvsh is to this day held in the greatest reverence by the Basutos, and when the chiefs and eoancillora meet ill solemn conclave and a knotty point arises, they ask themselves, " What would Mosheßh have done ncder similar circumstances 2"

Nearly half a century ago the British sent a punitive expedition numbering 2000 men against Moshesh. A party of the 12th Lancers became separated from the main body, were surprised by an overwhelming host of Basutoß, and 27 of the little band were slain. Presently one of the other British columns was confronted by a number of well-mounted men, some carrying lances, and wearing white caps. They were thought to be members of General Cathcart'a escort. Before it was discovered that they were Basutoa wearing some of the uniforms of the Lancers they had killed, several soldiers fell into their hands. Eventually the Basutos were overcome and severely punishei, and it was the intention of the British troop? to resume the attack in a day or t-vo, but in the meantime Moshesh wrote to General Cathcart, saying:—"l entreat peace from y:>u. You h;ive shown your power ; you have chastised ; let it be enough. L pray you let me no longer be considered an enemy to the Queen." The chief's submission was accepted. Bub the troubles of the i asutos were not over. 4 succession of disastrous wars with tho newly-established Free State extended from ISSS to IS6S. Moshesh saw his people being annihilated, his lands annexed, and ruin staring him in his face. With characteristic sagacity, he made overtures to the High Commissioner to have the Basutos enrolled as British subjects. He craved this boon in the pathetic message : " That I and my people may resb and live under the large folds of the flag of England before I am do more."

The High Commissioner (Sir Philip Wodehouse), on March 12, IS6S, yielded to Moaheah's entreaties, and the Basutoa were taved from the threatened annihilation. Basutoland has now a sora of home rule under the Imperial Government, represented by the High Commissir-n-r and an Administrator. During tbo next few weeks this part of South ■? frica will be watched with interest by the whole civilised world.