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BASUTOLAND (officially The Territory ...
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See also:BASUTOLAND (officially The Territory of Basutoland") , an inland See also:state and See also:British See also:crown See also:colony of S.E. See also:Africa, situated between 28° 35' and 3o° 30' S. and 27° and 29° 25' E. It has an See also:area of 10,293 sq. M., being somewhat smaller than See also:Belgium, and is bounded S., S.E., and N.E. by the See also:Drakensberg, N. and N.W. by the See also:Caledon See also:river, S.W. by a range of See also:low hills extending from the Caledon above See also:Wepener to the See also:Orange river, and See also:south of the Orange by the Telle or See also:Tees river to its source in the Drakensberg. Its greatest length S.W. to N.E. is 145 m.; its greatest breadth N. to S. 120 M. On every See also:side it is surrounded by British colonies, See also:north by the Orange River Colony, south-See also:west and south by Cape Colony, and See also:east by See also:Natal.
Basutoland, or Lesuto (Lesotho) as the natives See also:call it, forms the south-eastern edge of the interior tableland of South Africa; and has a rugged and broken See also:surface with a mean See also:elevation of 6000 ft. The Drakensberg~ (q.v.) forming the 'See also:buttress of the See also:plateau seaward, attain their highest elevation on the Basuto-Natal border. The frontier See also:line follows the See also:crest of the mountains, three peaks some ro,000 or more ft. high—Giant's See also:Castle, See also:Champagne Castle or Cathkin See also:Peak and Mont aux Sources—towering high above the See also:general level. See also:Mount See also: The crest of the Maluti is in few places See also:lower than 7000 ft. whilst Machacha, the culminating point, is about 10,500 ft. From the tableland north of the Maluti several isolated hills rise, the most noted being the almost inaccessible Thaba Bosigo—the rallying See also:place of the Basuto in many of their See also:wars. Shut off from the adjacent See also:Indian Ocean by its See also:mountain barrier, the drainage of the See also:country is westward to the distant See also:Atlantic.' As its name implies, the See also:chief See also:rivers rise in Mont aux Sources. From the inner sides of that mountain descend the Caledon and the Senku, whilst from its seaward See also:face the See also:Tugela flows through Natal to the Indian Ocean. The Caledon runs north of the Maluti, the Senku south of that range. From the slopes of the Maluti descend many streams, the largest being the Kornet Spruit, which joins the Senku and other torrents from the Drakensberg to See also:form the upper Orange (q.v.). The Caledon also, sweeping southward, unites with the Orange beyond the frontiers of Basutoland. Ordinarily shallow, the rivers after heavy See also:rain fill with See also:great rapidity, sweeping away everything in their path. In the richer See also:soil they cut deep channels; the denudation thus caused threatens to diminish seriously the area of arable and pasture See also:land. The river beds. contain dangerous . quicksands. The aspect of the country is everywhere See also:grand, and often beautiful, fully justifying the See also:title, " The See also:Switzerland' of South Africa," often applied to it. Viewed from a distance the mountains appear as dark perpendicular barriers, quite impenetrable; but narrow paths See also:lead See also:round the precipitous face of the hills,' and . when the inner side is gained a wonderful See also:panorama opens out. In every direction can be seen luxuriant valleys through which rivers See also:thread their silvery way, See also:wild chasms, magnificent waterfalls—that of Maletsunyane has an unbroken leap of over boo ft.—and, above all, See also: The See also:heat of summer (See also:December-See also: See also:Population and Towns.—Considering the extensive area of uninhabitable mountain land it contains, the Territory supports a large population. The inhabitants increased from 128,206 in 1875 to 348,848 in 19o4. The See also:females outnumber the See also:males by about 20,000, which is, however, about the number of adult males away from the country at any given See also:period. The See also:majority live in, the See also:district between the Maluti mountains and the Caledon river. The great bulk of the See also:people are Basuto, but there are some thousands of Barolong and other See also:Kaffirs. The Basuto proper are a See also:branch of the See also:Bechuana See also:family of See also:Bantu-Negroids. The See also: There are numerous mission stations throughout Basutoland, to several of which Biblical names have been given, such as See also:Shiloh, See also:Hermon, See also:Cana, See also:Bethesda, See also:Berea.
See also:Agriculture and See also:Trade,—Basutoland is one of the greatest See also:grain-growing countries of South Africa. The richest See also:tract of land is that between the Maluti mountains and the Caledon river. In summer the country appears as one waving See also: The average annual value of trade for the five years ending the 3oth of See also:June 1905 was:—Exports £215,668, imports £203,026. Trade is almost entirely with Orange River Colony and Cape Colony. The Territory is a member of the South See also:African Customs See also:Union. Some 6o,000 Basuto (annual average) find employment outside the Territory, more than See also:half of whom seek See also:farm and domestic service. A small proportion go to the See also:Johannesburg See also:gold mines, and others obtain employment on the See also:railways. Communication over the greater part of the Territory is by road; none of the rivers is navigable. A state-owned railway, 161 m. long, starting from Maseru crosses the Caledon river and joins the line connecting See also:Bloemfontein and See also:Ladysmith. This railway follows, N.E. of Maseru, the right bank of the Caledon, and affords a ready means of transport for the cereals raised on the left or Basuto side of the river. Highroads, maintained by the government, See also:traverse every part of the country, and See also:bridges have been built across the Caledon. The usual mode of See also:conveyance is by ox-waggon or See also:light See also:cart. Several passes through the Drakensberg into Griqualand East and Natal exist, but are little used. There is a See also:complete postal and telegraphic service and a See also:telephone line connects all government stations. Government and See also:Finance.—Basutoland is a crown colony, of which the high See also:commissioner for South Africa is See also:governor. In him resides the legislative See also:power, exercised by See also:proclamation. The Territory is administered, under the direction of the governor, by a See also:resident commissioner, who is also . the chief judicial officer. He is aided by a government secretary and by assistant commissioners. Under the British officials the country is governed by hereditary native chiefs, over whom is a paramount chief. The chiefs have See also:jurisdiction in cases affecting natives, but there is a right of See also:appeal to the courts of the commissioners, who try all cases in which any of the parties are See also:European. A See also:national See also:council (pitso), representative of all the native tribes, meets annually for the See also:free discussion of public affairs. For administrative purposes the Territory is divided into the seven districts of Maseru, Leribe, Mohales Hoek, Berea, Mafeteng, Quthing and Qacha's Nek, each of which is subdivided into wards presided over by Basuto chiefs. See also:Revenue is obtained from a hut tax of £1 per hut; the See also:sale of licences to trade; customs and See also:post See also:office: receipts. Seven-eighths of the revenue comes from the hut tax and customs. The average annual revenue for the five years 1901-1905 was £96,88o; the average annual See also:expenditure £69,559. Basutoland has no public See also:debt. See also:Education and Social See also:Condition.—Education is given in See also:schools founded by missionary See also:societies, of which the chief is the Societe See also:des See also:Missions Evangeliques de Paris. A large proportion of the people can read and write Sesuto (as the Basuto See also:language is called) and See also:English, and speak Dutch, whilst a considerable number also receive higher education. Many Basuto at the public See also:examinations take higher honours than competitors of European descent. There are over Zoo schools, with an average attendance exceeding zo,000. Nine-tenths of the scholars are in the schools of the See also:French See also:Protestant Mission, which are conducted by English; or English-speaking, missionaries. A government See also: Sloley, for 1902-1903. newspaper was started, called Naledi See also:ea Lesolha (See also:Star of Basuto-land). The publication of this See also:paper was followed in 1906 by the See also:adoption of a See also:uniform system of Sesuto See also:orthography. A See also:book on national customs, the first See also:work in the See also:vernacular by a South African native, was published in 1893. The See also:brandy-drinking See also:habit, which, when the imperial government assumed See also:control of the See also:administration in 1884, threatened the existence of the nation, has been very largely checked. A strong See also:beer, brewed from Kaffir corn, is a favourite drink. See also:History.--Until the beginning of the 19th See also:century Basutoland appears to have been uninhabited See also:save by wandering See also:Bushmen, whose See also:rude See also:rock pictures are to be found in several parts of the Drakensberg. About Moo the country was occupied by various tribes of Bechuana, such as Batau, Basuto, Baputi, who then possessed the greater part of what is now Orange River Colony. They appear to have recognized the paramount authority of a family descended from a chief named Monaheng. By the wars of the Zulu chiefs Chaka, Matiwana and Mosilikatze, these tribes were largely broken up and their power destroyed. One tribe, living in the Maluti mountains, was reduced to See also:cannibalism. Moshesh From their chief Machacha mountain takes its name. forms the At this period a See also:young See also:man named Moshesh (See also:born Basuto about 1790), who was of the family of Monaheng and nation. already noted as See also:hunter and See also:warrior, gathered round him the remnants of several broken clans, out of which he welded the existing Basuto nation. He established himself in 1824 on the rock-fortress of Thaba Bosigo, where, in 1831, he successfully defended himself against Mosilikatze; and there-after became second only to that chief among the natives north of the Orange River. In 1833 Moshesh invited the missionaries of the Societe des Missions Evangeliques of Paris to See also:settle in his country, and from that See also:day until his See also:death proved their firm friend. A few years later, in 1836-1837, large parties of emigrant Boers settled north of the Orange, and before long disputes arose between them and Moshesh, who claimed a great part of the land on which the white farmers had settled. The Basuto acquired an unenviable notoriety as a See also:race of bold cattle lifters and raiders, and the emigrant Boers found them extremely trouble-some neighbours. At the same See also:time, if the Basuto were eager for cattle, the Boers were eager for land; and their encroachments on the territories of the Basuto led to a proclamation in 1842 from See also:Sir See also:George See also:Napier, the then governor of Cape Colony, forbidding further encroachments on Basutoland. In 1843 a treaty was signed with Moshesh on the lines of that already arranged with Waterboer, the Griqua chief (see GRIQUALAND), creating Basutoland a native state under British See also:protection.
To the quarrels between Basuto and Boers were added inter-minable disputes between the Basuto and other Bechuana tribes, which continued unabated after the proclamation of British See also:sovereignty over the Orange river regions by Sir Harry See also: Attempts were made to come to terms with Moshesh and the See also:justice of many of his complaints was admitted. The efforts at See also:accommodation failed, and in 1852 General Sir George See also:Cathcart, who had succeeded Sir Harry Smith as governor of Cape Colony, decided to take strong See also:measures with the tribe, and proceeded with three small divisions of troops against Moshesh. The expedition was by no means a success, but Moshesh, with that See also:peculiar statecraft for which he was famous, saw that he could not See also:hope permanently to hold out against the British troops, and followed up his successful skirmishes with General Cathcart by See also:writing him a See also:letter, in which he said: " As the See also:object for which you have come is to have a See also:compensation for Boers, I beg you will be satisfied with what you have taken. You have shown your power, you have chastised;505
I will try all I can to keep my people in See also:order in the future." General Cathcart accepted the offer of Moshesh and See also:peace was proclaimed, the Basuto power being unbroken. Fourteen months later (See also:February 1854) Great See also:Britain renounced.. sovereignty over the farmers settled beyond the Orange, and Moshesh found himself face to face with the newly constituted Free State. Boundary disputes at once arose but were settled (1858) by the See also:mediation of Sir George See also:Grey, governor of Cape Colony. In 1865 a fresh See also:feud occurred. between the Orange Free. State Boers and the Basuto. The latter applied to Sir See also: At the same time the See also:Boer commandoes were requested to leave the country. The Free State strongly resented the British annexation of Basutoland,. but Aaeesa= after much negotiation the treaty of See also:Aliwal North was thmrto concluded (1869) between the Free State and the high Great commissioner. This treaty defined the boundary be- tween the Free State and Basutoland, whereby the fertile See also:strip of country west of the Caledon river, known as the Conquered Territory, was finally transferred to the Free State, and the See also:remainder of Basutoland was recognized as a portion of the British dominions. Moshesh, who for nearly fifty years had led his people so skilfully and well, died in 1870. He was one of the rare instances among the Kaffirs of a See also:leader endowed with intellectual gifts which placed him on a level with Europeans, and his See also:life-work has left a permanent See also:mark on South African history. In See also:diplomacy he proved fully the equal of all—white or black—with whom he had to See also:deal, while he ruled with a rare See also:combination. of vigour and moderation over the nation which he had created. In 1871 Basutoland was annexed to Cape Colony, the area at that time being given as 10,300 sq. m. The turbulent Basuto warriors did not remain quiet for any length of time, and in 1879 Moirosi, a chief residing in the See also:southern portion of Basutoland, openly repudiated colonial See also:rule. An expedition was despatched from Cape Colony and severe fighting followed. Moirosi's stronghold was captured and the chief himself was killed. Immediately after the See also:war, strife occurred among the Basuto themselves over the questionof the See also:partition of Moirosi's territory, which had been decided on as one of the results of the war. In 188o the Cape government See also:felt sufficiently strong to extend to Basutoland the Cape Peace Preservation See also:Act of 1878. This act provided for the disarmament of natives, and had The already been put in force successfully among some "See also:sun" of the Kaffir tribes on the Cape eastern frontier. Its war. See also:execution in Basutoland, however, proved an extremely difficult task, and was never entirely accomplished. Desultory warfare was carried on between the colonial troops and the Basuto until 1881, when the ' intervention of the high commissioner, Sir See also:Hercules See also:Robinson (afterward See also:Lord See also:Rosmead), was asked for. Peace in Basutoland was not announced until the end of 1882. In the following See also:year a form of self-government was established, but was once more followed by See also:internal strife among the See also:petty chieftains. The subjection of Basutoland to the control of the Cape government had by this time proved unsatisfactory, both to the Basuto and to Cape Colony. The Cape government therefore offered no opposition to the appeal made by the Basuto themselves to the. imperial government to take them over, and, moreover, Cape Colony undertook to pay towards the cost of administration an annual contribution of L18,000. Consequently, in 1884, Basuto-land ceased to be a portion of the Cape Colony and became a British crown colony. Native See also:laws and customs were interfered with as little as possible and the authority of the chiefs—all members of the Moshesh family—was maintained. Moshesh had been succeeded as paramount chief by his son, Letsie, and he in turn was succeeded in 1891 by Lerothodi (c. 1837-'1905). These chieftains acted in See also:concert with the British representative in the country, to whom was given the title of resident commissioner. The first commissioner was Sir See also:Marshall See also: Fearless and masterful he also possessed high See also:diplomatic gifts, and though on occasion arbitrary and passionate he was neither revengeful nor cruel. On the 19th of September following Lerothodi's death, the national council, with the concurrence of the imperial government, elected his son Letsie as paramount chief. The completion in See also:October 1905 of a railway putting Maseru in connexion with the South African railway system proved a great boon to the community. During the See also:rebellion of the natives in Natal and See also:Zululand in 1906 the Basuto remained perfectly quiet.
E. Iacottet, Moeurs, coutumes et superstitions des Ba-Souts," in See also:Bull. See also:Soc. neuchdteloise Geog., vol. ix. pp. 107-151, 1897 ; G. M. Theal, Basutoland Records (Cape See also:Town, 1883) ; E. Casalis, See also:Les Bassutos (Paris, 1859), a description of exploration, See also:manners and customs, the result of twenty-three years' See also:residence in the country; Minnie See also: Barkly, Among Boers and Basutos (new ed., London, 1897), a See also:record, chiefly, of the See also:Gun War of 188o-188a; C. W. See also:Mackintosh, Coillard of the Zambesi (London, 1907). For geology consult E. See also:Cohen, " Geo nostisch-petrographische Skizzen aus Sifd-Afrika," See also:News Jahrb. f. See also:Min., 1874, and N. Jahrb. Beil., Bd v., 1887; D. See also:Draper, "Notes on the Geology of South-eastern Africa," Quart. Journ. Geed, Soc., vol. 1., 1894; See also:Hatch-Corstorphine. The Geology of South Africa (London, 1905). For current See also:information see the annual report on Basutoland (Colonial Office, London). Many books dealing with South Africa generally have chapters See also:relating td Basutoland, e.g. A. P. Hillier, South African Studies (London, 1900) ; See also: Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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