History, of the Basutos.

Manawatu Herald, 3 October 1899, Page 2

History, of the Basutos.

In 1865 the Orange Free State invaded Basutoland, reduced many of the native strongholds, and besieged Thaba Bosiyo. The hill had nearly been taken by assault. Thirty yards more would have brought the Boers on the top of the hill, and Moshesh, the celebrated Basuto chief, would have been a prisoner. At that moment the Boer leader, Wepener, was killed, and the Boers fell back. Then Moshesh appealed to Great Britain for assistance, and the High Commissioner intervened. The Basutos were declared British subjects, and a treaty, was concluded with the Free State' by which the latter obtained a strip of territory formerly held by Moshesh, while the Basutos in 187 1 came under the administration of Cape Colony. Soon afterwards Moshesh died. In 1879 there was again trouble. Sir Bartle * Frere decided to disarm the tribe, and | the consequence was a war, which lasted until 1884, when the Imperial Government took Basutoland over, and it has ever since been administered by a resident commissioner. Since then the nation has increased rapidly, and the population is now about 350,000. The paramount chief as successor to Moshesh is Lerothodi. Under his rule peace has prevailed, but there is no friendship between the L Basutos and the Boers. The natives " are well armed, and should they decide to take the field against the Boers of the Free State, they would be no mean enemy. For nearly forty years, under Moshesh and Adam Kok, they held their ground, and it would need very little provocation for them again to fight their hereditary enemies— the Boers.