CAPE COLONY AND SOUTH AFRICA. 



Ill 



insisted also on leaving to Cape Colony the re- 

 sponsibility, or at any rate the initiative, as re- 

 gards new annexations. During the summer 

 the Cape Parliament passed acts in favor of 

 the annexation of Bechuanaland and of the 

 Transkeian Districts. The district of Walfish 

 Bay and St. John's territory in Pondoland 

 were taken under colonial jurisdiction. The 

 whole coast north of the Orange river as far 

 as the mouth of the Cunene, excepting the 

 German plantation at Angra Pequefia, was an- 

 nexed by resolution. The chief Umquikela 

 announced that he would resist the occupation 

 of the mouth of the St. John's, and forbade the 

 passage of troops through Pondoland. 



Natal. This colony is administered by a 

 Governor, with the assistance of a Council, 

 partly elective. The area is reported as 18,750 

 square miles. The population in 1881 was 

 413,167; the population of European race, 25,- 

 271. The total exports in 1881 were valued 

 at 768,000, the imports at 1,913,000. The 

 receipts of the treasury were 440,000, ex- 

 penditure 395,000 ; the public debt, 1,632,- 

 000. The Legislative Council in 1884 rejected 

 the proposal of the home Government to en- 

 dow the colony with responsible government. 



Basntoland. The Imperial Government took 

 over from the Cape authorities the administra- 

 tion of Basutolandin December, 1883. Colonel 

 Clarke was appointed Resident Commissioner 

 in January, and given a police force of 80 men, 

 afterward increased to about 150, to protect 

 life and property and maintain order on the 

 border. In 1866, after a series of wars with 

 the Basutos, which sapped the strength of the 

 Orange Republic, the Free State Boers con- 

 quered the savages and were proceeding to 

 annex their territory when Sir Philip Wode- 

 house stepped in and made the Basutos Brit- 

 ish subjects. By the treaty of Aliwal North 

 Great Britain promised to maintain order and 

 prevent incursions. The Boers have recently 

 complained of the disturbed state of Basuto- 

 land and of extortions practiced on traders by 

 the chiefs. In July Sir John Brand made for- 

 mal representations to that effect. 



Masupha and his allies, whose influence was 

 paramount in Basutoland, refused to submit to 

 control or to pay taxes. No attempt was made 

 to enforce obedience, but in October Colonel 

 Clarke had an interview with Masupha, at 

 which he threatened coercion if the hut-tax of 

 ten shillings were not paid. 



The Bpdimnilind Qaestion. The Transvaal 

 Boers acquired possession of Bechuanaland in 

 1837 and 1838 by reconquering the country 

 from the Zulu chief Moselikatse, who had 

 driven out or enslaved the Baralongs and Bat- 

 lapins. The Boers restored the lands to Mont- 

 sioa and the other Bechuana chiefs, over 

 whom they continued to exercise jurisdiction, 

 incorporating the country in the Transvaal as 

 the district of Bloemhof. When diamonds 

 were discovered near the Yaal river in 1871, 

 she English broke tho Sand River Convention 



with the Boers, which bound the British not to 

 interfere north of the Vaal. Sir Henry Barkly, 

 the British High Commissioner, and President 

 Pretorius, of the South African Republic, ar- 

 ranged in 1871 to settle by arbitration the 

 southwest boundary of the Transvaal, which 

 was brought into dispute by the British annex- 

 ation of Griqualand. Lieutenant - Governor 

 Keate, of Natal, in his award, took away from 

 the republic the whole Bloemhof district, and 

 affirmed the independence of the Bechuana 

 chiefs. This award was rejected by the 

 Volksraad ; yet the English insisted upon it as 

 binding until the annexation of the Transvaal 

 in 1877. Sir Theophilus Shepstone, the Eng- 

 lish Administrator, then declared Bloemhof to 

 be a Government district, and the seat of a 

 magistracy. When the Boers rebelled against 

 the English rule, a contest was in progress be- 

 tween Montsioa and Moshette for the head- 

 chieftainship of the Baralongs. Moshette was 

 the paramount chief by right of birth ; but 

 while he was without followers or lands, liv- 

 ing as an indentured laborer with the Boers, 

 Montsioa was a powerful chief, and in 1870 

 was chosen by the others as the head of the 

 nation. In the struggle between the two chiefs 

 Moshette was abetted by the Boers, while Mont- 

 sioa was aided and encouraged by Englishmen. 

 The fate of the Keate award was held to de- 

 pend on the issue. The other Bechuana tribes 

 became involved in the conflict. A quarrel 

 had arisen between the Koranna chief, David 

 Massouw, and the paramount chief of the Bat- 

 lapins, Mankoroane, on account of a head-man 

 of the latter who had taken refuge with Mas- 

 souw. An alliance was formed by Massouw 

 with Moshette, and Mankoroane made common 

 cause with Montsioa. During the Transvaal 

 war Montsioa and Mankoroane sheltered Eng- 

 lish fugitives, and were promised protection by 

 Sir George Colley. 



By the Treaty of Pretoria, in 1881, the dis- 

 trict of Bloemhof was again separated from 

 the Transvaal, and declared to be an inde- 

 pendent native district. The Boers protested 

 at the time against this clause in the conven- 

 tion, and soon afterward demanded its revision. 

 Their native allies drove away the English offi- 

 cer who came to beacon off the frontier. As 

 soon as the British army left the Transvaal, 

 the native war broke out afresh. The chiefs 

 friendly to the Boers, aided by a large number 

 of Dutchmen from the Boer republics and the 

 Cape, fell upon Montsioa and Mankoroane, who 

 were aided by English volunteers. The Batla- 

 pin chief was soon deprived of the greater 

 part of his lands and cattle. Farms were por- 

 tioned out among the white volunteers, who 

 founded the republic of Stellaland. Upon 

 lands wrested from Montsioa another repub- 

 lic, called Goshen, was organized. 



The Convention of London. The Boers entered 

 unwillingly into the Peace of Pretoria, but 

 acceded rather than recommence hostilities. 

 They objected to being deprived of their re- 



