182 Recollections of Adventures 



Zulus and Basutos, etc., in the other British Colonies 

 and in the independent Boer States the sale of arms 

 and ammunition to natives was a criminal offence. 

 The Free State protested against the armed Basutos 

 passing through their territory to Basutoland. In 

 Natal the authorities demanded that all fire-arms in 

 possession of natives should be registered. The 

 result was that when Langalibalele's tribe refused to 

 register their arms, fighting followed. The tribe 

 was dispersed and Langalibalele sent a prisoner to 

 the Cape Peninsula. The inconsistent and mis- 

 chievous policy was disgraceful on the part of the 

 Government and led to disturbance and bloodshed, 

 while it made the Boers more than ever distrust the 

 British native policy, which has by vacillation and 

 inconsistency, (due largely to changes of party 

 Government in Great Britain,) done more to retard 

 the progress and quiet settlement of South Africa 

 than anything else. It is to be hoped that under a 

 Union Government a uniform policy based upon 

 justice and common sense, with a due regard to the 

 maintenance of the supremacy of the white races as 

 the civilising factor in the future will be pursued. 



I remember very often going with the late Mr. 

 Harry Escombe to inspect the works at the port of 

 Durban, in which he took such great interest, and 

 he would rejoice to-day if he could see the splendid 

 advance the plucky little Colony has made since 

 then. When Indian coolies were introduced 



to work at sugar plantations (as the Kaffirs 

 would not work) I pointed out to him the danger I 

 foresaw of these Asiatics, finding the climate and 

 conditions favourable, remaining in the colony and 

 increasing the already swarming coloured population, 

 and that they would, when their terms of indenture 

 expired, start cultivating and trading on their own 



