Evening star., 1900-12-29
SIGHTS IN BASUTOLAND
SUPERB sAvAGEs WHO COMPLICATE
ENGLAND's AFRICAN PROBLEM.
Curious Native Wedding, With an
Interesting Description of
the Brides Attire.
From the London News.

borders of Basutoland / thought II would
not be waste of time to cross the border
and. IL possible, interview one OF the chiefs
My opportunity came at last. Our general
decided to give his weary men a few days
rest: SO, getting into the saddle at Willow
Grange l rode to Ficksburg, land there
crossed the River Caledon, whose yellow
waters, like an orange ribbon, divide Ba-
sutoland from the Free State. At this
point the river runs between steep banks.
and when l crossed it was about deep
enough to kiss my horses g.rths, though l
could we'll believe that in the Hood season
1t becomes a most formidable torrent An
artificial cutting has been made on both
sioes to facilitate the passage Of traders.
black and white, but even there the ford
Is SO constituted that the Beers on the one
s.de and the blacks on the other could sue
cessfuliy dispute the passage Of an invading
army with mere handful of men.
once over the river one soon felt the In
nuence OF Jonathan, the black prince.
Inc niggers, naked except for the loin
cloth, staggered along with arms in their
hands, and grinned with insolent familiarity
into our faces. They may have an intense
respect and an unbounded love for the Brit
lsn-I nave read scores of times that they
have-but beg leave to doubt IL. Physi-
cally speaking, they are superb race OF
men, these sable subjects of our queen.
Their heads sit upon their necks with a
bold. defiant po.se; their throats are full
round and muscular; their chests magniti-
cent. broad and deep, tapering swiftly to-
ward the waist. Their arms and legs are
beautifully fashioned for strong, swift deeds
Strip an ordinary white man and put him
among these back warriors, and he would
look Ike human clothes rack. They walk
with quick. springy step. and gave me the
impression that they could march at tne
double for week without firing. But they
are at their best on horseback. To see
them barebacked dash down the side of a
sheer Gun, plunge into the river, SWIM
ther horses over and then climb the oppo-
site bank when the face Of the bank is like
the face Of a wall is a sight worth travel
Ing far to see.
What to Do With the Basutos.
There are many things in this world that
I know nothing at all about, but l do know
horseman when see him. for l was bred
n land where nine-tenths Of the boys
can ride. But nowhere have l seen a whole
male population ride these Basuto war
riors ride. and the best Eng and can
make Of them is to turn them into mounted
infantry. Give them six months drill and
they will be fit to face any troops in Eu-
rope. l never saw them do any fighting.
but they carry the fighting brand on every
nent cheekbone. the hard-set mouth. the
massive jaw, the quivering nostriI, the
swing and spring Of every movement, ali
speak the fighting race.
And their women; what Of them? From
the back of the head to the back of the
heel you could pace a lance shaft, so
straight are they in their carriage. Their
dress is a bunch Of feathers and the third
of a silk pocket handkerchief with cop
per ring around the ankle and another
around the wrist. They do most of the
daily toll, such 1t is, though | know of
no peasant population in any other part of
the world who get a living as easily as
these folk The men allow the women to
do most Of the field labor. but when the
grain is bagged the males place it in single
bags across the back of a pony, and SO
take it to market. They walk beside the
tiny little ponies and balance the grain
slung crosswise on the animals back. and
when the grain has been sold bartered
they bound on to their ponies and career
madly homeward, each one trying to outdu
his neghbor in deeds Of recklessness in
the hope Of winning favor in the eyes of
the dusky maidens. They are mean in re-
gard to money or gifts, and know the in
trinsic value of things just as we'll as any
peddler in all England. Judging the mig
ger merely as a human being, irrespec-
tive of sentiment. color, and so forth, | can
only say that in my estimation he and MS
are far better off in every respect that the
average white laborer and his family in
England. These folk have plenty to eat,
little to do, and are very jolly. They would
be perfectly happy if they only had sufii-
cent number of rifles and a large enough
supply of ammunition to enable them 10
drive every white man clean away from
their borders.
A RasutO Bride.
When I arrived at Jonathan's village
that warrior was away with band of his
young men. so that I could not. see him,
though l saw his son at wedding which
was being held when l reached the scene.
1 was taken through rows of naked. grin
ming savages, of both sexes, to be intro
duced to the bride and bridegroom, whom
7 n he 4 Ioair of m SSiDn
W - the ~a'~ tr~ '-ack ne
shook my boots OF. The bride. . full
beautiful white satin dress, which fitted
her as if it had been fired at her out of
gun 1t would not meet in front by about
three inches, and the bodice was laced up
by narrow bands Of red silk, Ike a foot
ballers Jersey. In her short. woolly haiD
she had pinned q wreath of artificial or
ange blossoms, which looked like a diadcm
of snow on a midwinter mudheap. Down
her broad back there hung a great gauzy
lace veil big enough to make a fly net II {
a COW camel in summer. 1t was n II
fixed on to her dress, nor to her wrea h,
but was tied on to two little klnky CT RS
at each side of her head by bright 81 sen
ribbons after d fashion of prize fly Of ti1c
draught order at county fair. Her hands
were enc2sed in a pair of white kid g Yves,
mans s.ze, and a pretty big man at th@t.
for she had gentle little fist that would
have scared John l.. Sullivan III his p tl1rltest
days.
u hen l was introduced TO the newly
shack ed matron she put one OF thos- Owed
hands into mine with a simperin@ air OF
cuyness that made me feel cold all over. for
that hand in the kid glove remind II me #
the day ! took my first lesson ON f-qu-
renee Foley, Australia's champ IN h7,-er.
and he had an eght-ounce glove on Gh2nk
heaven) on that occasion Ii her right
hand the bride carried fan # splendid
ostrich feathers, with which she brushed
the ii es off the groom II was vast enough
to have brushed away TOY terrier, to say
nothing of flies, but it looked toy in that
giant fist
A brand From the Etvning.
The bridegroom hung on to his brides
arm like fly to a sugar stick. He was a
tall young man, dressed in black frocls
coat light trousers, braced up to show he
wore cocks shoes white gloves and high
crowned hat. He carried his brides white
silk gingham in one hand and an enormous
bunch of flowers in the other. He tried TO
look meek but only succeeded in looking
sly, hypocrtical and awfully uncomfortable.
At times he would look at his new spouse.
and then most insanity expression would
cross his foxy face; he would push cut his
great thick lips until they threw a shadow
all round him; open his dazzling white teeth