BOER INTRIGUES WITH BASUTOS

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVI, Issue 8074, 19 March 1901, Page 4

BOER INTRIGUES WITH BASUTOS

SIR GODFREY lAGDEN'S REPORT. The annual Colonial Office report on Basntoland lor 1900 contains along account of the politcal situation in the territory during the war by Sir Geofrey Lagden. Sir Godfrey savs that the Boers, full of confidence in the future, started a train of intrigue designed to win the Natives on their side and shake their faith in British power. Though the Basutos were at neart loyal, history had taught its lessons from which it was fairly deducted that there lay a great dancer to the Natives in being on the losing <=ide Many of the chiefs, therefore, while openly professing loyalty to Britain, secretly coquetted. with the Boers, bir Godfrey suggests that the attempts to win over, the Bastuos may give a meaning to President Krugers celebrated expression about staggering humanity. The Boer reports of great Boer victories communicated to the Natives overreached themselves by exaggeration and untruth, and in the end the Natives were completely bewildered by the magnitude and varying conditions of the war, and discredited all reports. The Boers had designed to seize and hold Maseru, but forts.were constructed and a small force armed for its defence. These.vigorous measures deterred the Boers from attacldng. During the siege of Wepener, which lies under the Basuto border, the Boers intended making a flank attack through Bast-uo territory, but Sir Godfrey had several thousand Basutos concentrated on the border, and that movement was frustrated. The Basutos did not attempt to interfere in the siege, though Lerothodi, the -naramount chief, asked Sir Godfrey if it was< right to stand bv and see the soldiers of the Queen pounded Jn such a way. In some instances the Natives jeered at the Boers for want of pluck in the attack, but steps were taken invariably to curb such undue leyity. Of the paramount chief Lerothodi, Sir Godfrey says in word and deeS he never stirred from his allegiance to the Queen, deciding to stand or fall by his choice. Nearly ten thousand remounts went to the army from Basutoland.