The evening times., 1899-10-26
THE TRIBE OF BASUTOS.


| hOs-r w
| The Cape Town despatch to the effect
that Commissioner. Lagden is starting out
from Maseru. Basutoland to meet the
-Basuto chiefs at the Putriatsuz River
where the savages have assembled to
pledge their feaIty to England's Queen
makes description of Basutoland timely
and Interesting.
Basutoland is one of England's inland
colonies. completely hemmed in by the
Cape Colony, the Orange Free State and
Natal. 1t has an area of 1928 square
miles; the population is about 100000 ma
tives and less than 600 Europeans. spe-
| cial permit is required when European
wishes to settle there. 1t is a fine grain
producing district, and the abundant grass
| enables the Basutos to rear immense herds
of cattle.
Kafiir tribes from the northeast were
! driven southwark into the mountain coun-
ttry now called Basutoland most of which
| had been. previously inhabited only by
| Bushmen, and here the BasutO kingdom
! was built out of fugitive clans Of the Chief
| Moshesh between 1920 and 1S40. In 1883
war kroke out between the Orange Free
! State anditbe sBasuto chief Moshesh, who
|
! had occupied. The Free State commanders
! attacked him, and had penetrated Basuto-
| land as far as the stronghold OF Thaba
| Bosiyo, when they were obliged to return
to protect their own farms from the row
ing bands of horsemen which Mo5hesh had
skillfully detached to operate in their rear.
The Governor of Cape Co-ony became
the mediator between them and new
frontier was marked out by the governor.
| in 1SEh nlra ont
between the Basutos and the Free State,
| and when the Governor OF Cape Colony
| was called upon to settle the trouble his
| decision was not respected by the tribe,
| who could not always be governed by
| Moshesh. Hostiiities began after brief
| interval of peace. The Free State made
supreme effort, and, in 1858, was on the
| point of destroying the Basuto power,
| when Moshesh appealed to the high CON-
missioner to extend British protection to
| his people.
Unwilling to see Dasuto!and annexed to
the Free State says James Bryce, t'and
fearing injury to the colony from the DIS
persion OF Basuto fugitives through it. the
| High Commissioner consented and dec-ared
the Basutos British subjects
In 1879 a chief named Moirosi rescued
his son from justice and 1t was only after
severe fighting that his strongho was
taken uy the SciOUlHl III the
lowing year. owing to the extension to Ba-
sutoland OF Cape act providing for
general disarmament, the whole tribe re-
belled. and, after much negotiation. ii was
arranged that the Imperial Government
should take over the country. receiving a
subsidy of $4,000 from the Cape Govern
ment toward the cost OF the adDlinistra-
ton. This arrangement was Carr.e1 out
in 1854 and Basutoiand thus became s-p-
arate colony.
The territory is now governed by resi-
dent commissioner under the direction Of
the high commissioner for South Africa
the latter possessing the legislative au-
thority, which is exercised by proclama
ton. The chiefs adjudicate on cases be-
tween natives, with right of appeal to
the magistrates courts, where all cas- be-
tween Europeans and natives are brought.
The revenue arises from the Cape contri-
button, the postoffice natiye-hut tax, and
the sale of licenses. Telegraph offices have
been opened at Massru and elsewhere, in
/ connection with the Cape Colonial system
There are IA schools, with 7,543 scholars,
nine-tenths being in the schools of the
French Protestant Mission.
Basutoland is about two-thirds the size
of Switzerland the larger part being Wild
mountain region Everything is lone 10
keep European prospectors and business
! people out but the natives go in large
numbers to the Kimberley mines and bring
back large sums of money with which they
make home investments. The land be-
longs to the natives, and the untitled parts
are open to all who wish to turn their cat
tie into lhem.5. The chief allots fields to
each householder, and the tenant retains
the land as long as ne tills it, He ''annot
| sell the land but on his death ii passes TO
his children.
The chief is the high authority in the
allotment of land, and administers Justice
in civil as well as criminal cases He holds
court in the open air at his kraal, and
there settles disputes and awards punish
ments.
The British Government is represented
by several magistrates and has 220 native
police The present chief is Lerothodi, and
all the greater chieftains are, like the head
of the nation. sons and grandsons of the
founder of the dynasty.
The whole people or its representatives
meet the high commissioner. The National
Assembly is called the Pitso The perma-
nent chief presides and debates are con-
Quoted by the chiefs. although all freemen
have right TO speak. These conventions
are usually brought together by the per-
manent chief but men lower in rank have
a right to summon the people for the pur-
pose of considering matters of Importance
writer on the subject OF the natives
in Africa says as to these meetings: The
resemblance to the primary assemblies OF
the carly peoples of Europe is close enough
to add another to the arguments, already
strong, which discredit the theory that
there is any such thing as an 'Aryan type
OF institutions. Today the Pitso has lost
much of it's old Importance, and tends to
become a formal meeting in which the
British commissioner addresses the people
and reads new regulations for their gov
ernment.
One of their proverbs is: A man who
makes a mistake in a public assembly can
not be killed. In this proverb some people
have seen connection with the English
privilege of Parliament" Public opinion
counts for much with the Basutos, and
they differ in this respect from the Mata-
belle and the Zulus. "Tshaka or Lobengu-
Ia" says Bryce would in a moment have
had the neck twisted of anyone who ven
tured to differ publicly from his opinion.
In this respect the Basutos resemble their
kinsfolk, the Bamaugwato, among whom
Khama's rule as chief was amenable to
public opinion
About $4,000 Basutos have been brought
to Christianity by the missionaries
French Protestant, Roman Catholic, and
English Episcopalian. The women have
been kept in subjugation. and are more
backward than men on that account, but
their condition has improved in late years.
The men now assist them in their field
work and in some instances give them
clothes to wear. The Basutos still believe
in ghosts, and they visit the graves of their,
dead in order to communicate with the
ghosts lowering around them.