Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-02-28
THE TRIBE OF BASUT0S.
A THORN IN THE FLESH OF BOTH
BRlToN AND BoER.

Ally and Dreaded B8ef Eheihy=Have
a Standing ARMY OF $4,000 Men:
The Basuts is the latest troubling
fac:ef In the fransvaal tragedy. He
has been troubling factor s;I> tne
beginning of South African ciyiliza-,
ton. He has warred with the Eng
l;sh. He has warred with the Beers.
He has broken treaties. he has up
set calculations. He has smashed
policies. He has changed maps. He
assisted at the formation of the Trans.
vaal republic. He presided over the
birth Of the Orange Free State. He
has been thorn in the side of Boer
and Enolishmen.
And now, civilized and prosperous
far beyond any black people, lie wants
to meddle again. This BaButo prob.'
lem is a serions one for both English
and Doors, The Basuto army is pow.
erful. It numbers 10000 warriors
and includes a splendid cavalry.
They would form a powerful British
ally anu dreaded Boer enemy.
This Basuto tribe, now SO nnxiohsly
watched by English eyes, is in mahy
respects the most remarkable iii South,
Africa. 1t DC, hpiss rocky tract
bounded by Natal, Cape Colony aud:
the Orange Free State, known as the
Switzerland of South Africa. 1t cons
tains 10, 293 square miles and is ribbed
with mountain ranges and valleys Of
wonderful fertility.
Basutoland is practically reserya!
tion, and no white men. are allowed
to live there except government off,
cials, missionaries and limi'ed num-
Der OF tralers. It's naive population
is 230, 900; lis European population,
GOO. It is British crown colony with
home rule under modified native laws.
Tho Basutos are, highly civilized
for natives. They are of mixed stock
and are like the Kaffirs, with thinner
lips aud softer features. They have
welcomed missionaries, and, as rule,
profess Calvinistic Protestant faith
They have the entire Bible translated.
Their land is dotted with churches
and schoolhouses. They are we'll ed
ucated. Thousands of them speak
Dutch and English fuently. Alone
of African tribes they build comforta-
BILE brick and stone houses. They
have excellent roads and keep them in
repair.
They are also an Industrious peo-
pie. They raise cattle and sheep
extensivelyand affect improved breeds.
Their enormous fertile valleys yield
rich crors of wheat and maize. They
cultivate wool. They have steady
market at Cape Colony, and in good
years import thither produce to the
value of 81, 900, OOO. Coal is mined in
the mountains.
With these. thrifty habits and their
civilization, the Basutos maintain an
army OF high standard. lis normal
strength is 80, ,O0H, bat they can put
80, O0o in the field without an effort.
It spite of disarmament, half of these
warriors would carry rides. The rest
have assegais and battleaxes. The
feature of the Basuto army is,its cav
airy. From early times they have
fought on horseback. In their wars
with the Beers their mounted war
riors did great execution.
Their present chief is Lerothodi, a
brave man and skillful warrior. His
home is mountain cave, whose walls
are pictured with hunting scenes and
battles. No small skill is shown in
these drawings, in all of which the
Basuto warriors nre depicted as
shapely men and their enemies hid:
eous impossibilitiea. Their noun
tains are full of great caves, utilized
as armories, forts and hiding PAGES.
Their capital is Thaba Bosigo, nm i'm
pregnable mountain stronghold, often
assaulted but never taken There is
no securer retreat in all Africa than
this.
When the Beers, resenting English
rule, moved from Cape Colony into
Natal aud there made stand against
English interference, the Basutos
were factor in the quarrel. Pre-
torians were beaten and Natal seized
by the British. 1he Beers refused tc
stay and retreated to the Orange
river country, where they again Sc,
up their republican government. This
gave great offence to England and il
was determined to erect barrier o!
native tribes between them and ciyili
zation with the purpose of forcing
their return. Moshesh and his :Ba;
sutos were the principal of tlfese ma
tive states. Sovereign rights were
granted him over large tract nott
of the Orange river and he wasfpaid {
subsidy. He was thus in control 0.
| the new land occupied by the Boess.li
But the plan failed. The~Boers
laughed at native sovereigns. The,
remained where they were and sgov
erned themselves. Wars sprang up
The whole situation was impossible
aud when Sir Harry Smith arrived ht
determined to break the native states
Incidentally, he annexed the Orange
river district, Beers and all, to the
British dominions. And thus do we
geta glimpse of that early bounding
OF the Boer by the Briton that is nov
bearing fruit.
/ Moshesh agreed, and the farmerI
fought and were beaten. Again
rather than submit to British rule
many of them retreated ''trans-Vaal,
across the Vaal, thus laying the foun
dations of the Transvaal republic o
today.
Thus were the beginnings OF boil
the Boer republics. The English die
not follow the trans-Vaal emigrants
but they held sway in the Orange
river territory until the Basutos tool