THE FUTURE OF THE BANTU PEOPLE. 257 



given them they accepted. They could keep silence in two, and 

 three, and even four languages ! 



A Basuto native not long ago told his missionary that he had 

 now solved the mystery of the two races. He said. " God once 

 built an oven, took some clay, moulded it, and set it in the oven 

 to bake. The result was a white man ; who asked God to give 

 nim something ; and God, pleased with his work, said, ' I give 

 you everything.'' Then God made a second, who came. out of the 

 oven black; he also asked God for a gift. God said, ' I am sorry 

 1 cannot. I have given everything to the white man.' The black 

 man replied. ' This is a hard thing, to live in the world with 

 nothing ' ; and so God, after some consideration, said, ' There is 

 one thing I kept back from the white man, and I give it to you. 

 You are to have contentment.' '' 



But now this contentment, this docility, is being stirred up in 

 various ways ; by our influence, our teaching, our justice and 

 injustice, and the generally quiet, persistent influence of their 

 own leaders. Once the chief's word was law ; once the magis- 

 trate spoke and none dared disobey. Once the white missionary 

 was the guide, adviser, and friend, whom it was found wise to 

 follow. Once the English lawyer was the only person to be con- 

 sulted in connection with land and life. But now the natives are 

 being — slowly but surely — influenced by their own native leaders, 

 and the newspapers Avhich everyone may read in his own tongue. 

 These point out from time to time what they regard as " the 

 wrongs of the Kaffir nation." and. at least, show that they can add 

 considerably to the difficulties of the Minister for Native Affairs. 

 He formerly carried on his administration in an easy-going Kaflir 

 way — at best by a series of compromises. He has now to face a 

 people who have been coached into a knowledge of their griev- 

 ances by men of their own race, who are not always careful to 

 see that they fairly teach facts. In connection with recent legisla- 

 tion, there is an illustration. In a book published by a native 

 the statement is made that in European areas within the Union 

 76.302.503 morgen of land feed 560,000 whites, and certain stock ; 

 while in native areas, 7.356.590 morgen feed 1,500,000 blacks, 

 with their stock ; and it is claimed that the whole land should be 

 reapportioned pro rata to population, because the whole area once 

 belonged to the Bantu race. There is a science of history. The' 

 records are clear that in the Western Province area no Bantu 

 ever lived. It was the home of Bushmen and Hottentots. In vast 

 areas in the Colony, the Free State, and the Transvaal no Bantus 

 ever resided. A\'hen the white men first entered and took posses- 

 sion thev were occupied by none but vast herds of game and by 

 wild beasts. The native land difficulty is not all due to European 

 land hunger, but also to the large increase in the number of the 

 native people. It is this increase, coupled with the unsuitability 

 of the country and its conditions for European settlers, that is the 

 real difficultv ; it is because some Europeans think the natives are 

 l)eing persuaded by their natural leaders to seek a wider place 

 in the sun that there are Land IJills. with tlieir hastily drawn and 

 unscientific conditions. The natives are much keener politicians. 



