Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-12-02
THE BASUTO WAR.
The Land and the People wow in Arms
Against Great Britain.

A<abu anu AhF FNepfN NpN IN Arms
Against Great Britain.
Basutoland may be described "a ,.c
Wales Of South America. II is "A lit.a
province fitted in at the northeast ry,r-
ncr of Cape Colony, between the Oranra
free state, the Cape Colony and Natl
II is about $50 miles long by fifty broad,
It's length running parallelto the Orau2c
free state. or, roughly speaking, nearly
parallel at some distance inland with
the coast line. Some Of the table lanes
are nearly 5000 feet above the sea, whie
it's loftiest mountain Is credited with =
height OF 10. 900 feet. The cold through.
out the whole OF Basutoland is very
severe in the months Of June, July, Au.
gust. and even September. Thougl
Basutoland may be said 70 be $50 mi ~.
by fifty miles in size. the eastern side oi
Cts breadth Is scarcely inhabited on ac
count OF the extreme cold and of the IN
accessible character OF the mountain.
The most thickly pOpulated districts y!
the little country extend nearly along i,s
whole length, but are of brcadta II
about twenty miles only-the thir,y
miles 70 the nnrthwcst-ant lying rex,
TO the Orange free state. II il from tic
free state. then, that BasutolAnd can b.
most easily entered and its chief sta
tions, which lie within lew hours 0l
the free state border, most safely and
easily reached. There are other route.
from the south, but they present grc4,
difficulties TO the march Of troops, and
are open TO grave objections from mil
tary point of view.
The BAsutos are mostly remnants o.
tribes who were driven before the Kat
frs. Early in the century they took
refuge in the mountain fagtncsses q
Basutoland 10 escape the pitiless coldicry
of the Zulu conqueror, Cheka. 1t va
on the steep and rocky hill of TAaba
Bosigo that Mosbesh, the first para
mount chief OF the BAsutos, rallied tho
starved and desperate men Of the dif!cr.
ent clans of his race, made succcss,u.
stand against the Zulus, and laid the
foundation OF the Basuto nation. To
speak Of the Basutos as equal or ncar.y
equal TO the Zulus in fighting qualities
(as is sometimes done) is a mistake.
The Basutos lack the discipline, the
reckless bravery and the taste for fight.
ing possessed by the ZJlu soldiers. Tie
Ba,utos have no military organization.
merely turning out or being turned out
by their chiefs for fighting by tribes os
clans. They are not soldiers like the
Iulus were before the Zulu army wa
broken up, but are merely mountaincers.
Unlike the Zulus, the Basutos fight, as 2
rule, mounted, possessing hardy and
active ponies, which make light the off.
ficulties of the mountain tracks Of their
country. Almost all the Basutos have
taken TO clothing, partly from their pro-
gress in civilization, and partly from the
severe climate OF their land The mill
tary trait 10 be remarked in the Basutos
is their aptitude for fortifying or en-
schoncing themselves, and the inte!li-
gence with whichthey strengthen any
position they may desire 10 hold. In
deed, the colonists' chief difficulty will
probably commence when the Basutos,
worsted in the open, betake emselves
10 their mountain strongholds. Thaba
BosIgo, the stronghold now held by the
chief Masupha, is good example Of p
Basuto position. II is an isolated hil
about forty feet high. with fat or table
top, and with sides scrapcd away by
natural causes. The table Is only &C
cessibie by three or four paths. Some
Of these paths are said to have been
rendered inaccessible; others TO be
barred by lines OF schanzcs, or stone
barricades, loop-ho,ed and possessing
fianking defense. On the mountain are
good pasture TO Craze the cattle. plenty
of water, and stores OF grain and ammu
nition.-London Telegraph.