CAPE COLONY AND SOUTH AFRICA. 



91 



act and the war, concluded a peace with the 

 Basutos by which everything was left as it 

 was before the war. 



The triumphant Basutos felt a natural con- 

 tempt for the poor-spirited or treacherous 

 members of the tribe who had sided with the 

 British. Toward the end of 1882 one of the 

 rebel chiefs fell upon a loyal Basuto, took his 

 cattle, and put to death his women and chil- 

 dren. In this condition of affairs, the pres- 

 ence of British resident magistrates and po- 

 lice whose authority was despised was only a 

 sign of impotence. The Parliament was sum- 

 moned to an extraordinary session in January, 

 1883, for the consideration of a ministerial 

 proposition to recall the resident authorities 

 and leave the Basuto nation complete inde- 

 pendence in the management of its internal 

 affairs, reserving simply the control of its ex- 

 ternal politics, that is, its relations with the 

 Orange Free State. With a slight modification 

 the act was passed by a bare majority. The 

 cost of the inglorious Basuto war of 1880-'81 

 was about 4,000,000. The sub-agents were 

 not recalled. The policy of the Government 

 was denned by the Premier, T. C. Scanlen, to 

 be to build up a government by which the 

 people would be able to manage their own 

 affairs. He admitted that, if they failed in the 

 new experiments, there was no course left but 

 abandonment. 



Mr. Scanlen had many conferences with 

 the chiefs, ending with a pitso or assembly at 

 Matsieng, on the 24th of April. Letsea and 

 the friendly natives accepted the Government 

 proposals, but Masupha and other malcontents 

 angrily refused to accede to the new scheme 

 of modified supervision. At a conference 

 called by the agent of the Cape Government 

 only about 2,000 persons were represented. 

 Convinced that the Basutos desired to have no 

 further connection with the colony, the Cape 

 authorities concluded to terminate relations 

 with them, and hand over the responsibility 

 for the future management of the troublesome 

 dependancy to the British Government. As 

 Cape Colony thus laid down the task of govern- 

 ing Basutoland, which had cost more than 

 3,000,000, and sine 3 the Basutos were not 

 able to stand alone, the Imperial Government 

 announced its willingness to take them again 

 under its control and protection, as prior to 

 1869, on the conditions that the great majority 

 of the Basutos desired it ; that they and Cape 

 Colony should bear the principal part of the 

 expenses, and that the Orange Free State 

 should co-operate in keeping order along its 

 boundaries. The British Government did not 

 propose to establish a costly administration of 

 Europeans and govern .Basutoland as a crown 

 colony, but to guide and protect the natives in 

 governing themselves in accordance with their 

 own customs. Cape Colony undertakes to pay 

 20,000 a year toward the expenses of admin- 

 istration. The bill ratifying the arrangement 

 passed the Cape Legislature in July, after a 



prolonged discussion. In order to be further 

 relieved of its financial embarrassments, the 

 Cape ministry would be glad to transfer to the 

 crown the Transkei also, with its large popu- 

 lation of Kaffirs. 



Natal Legislation. A change was made in the 

 Constitution of Natal, approaching self-govern- 

 ment. The number of members in the Legisla- 

 tive Council was increased from 20 to 30. The 

 elected members bear nearly the same propor- 

 tion to the nominated members as before, being 

 23 to 7, as against 15 to 5. The franchise, 

 which was confined to holders of real estate of 

 50 value, or 10 rental, is liberalized, the 

 limitations being a residence of three years and 

 the possession of an income of 96 a year by 

 male British subjects or naturalized aliens. 

 From natives an educational test is required in 

 addition. 



Znlnland. Cetewayo was reinstated in his 

 kingdom on Jan. 29th, in the presence of a con- 

 course of Zulus, but he was only given a seg- 

 ment of the territory over which his rule for- 

 merly extended. The chief Usibepu was left 

 in possession of the district allotted to him. 

 It was left free to all the chiefs and people to 

 return to their allegiance to Cetewayo, or to 

 receive lands outside of his kingdom. For 

 such a large section, called the Zulu Native Re- 

 serve, was set apart. 



The restoration of a portion of his former 

 dominions to Cetewayo turned out to be as 

 great a blunder as the other acts of the British 

 Government in connection withZululand. In- 

 stead of leading to the tranquilization of the 

 country which the British by splitting it up 

 into petty dominions under thirteen different 

 chiefs, had involved in chronic guerilla war- 

 fare the result was an internecine conflict 

 between Cetewayo on the one part, and Usi- 

 bepu, in league with all the adversaries of the 

 restored monarch, on the other. Cetewayo 

 was anxious to avoid fighting, but the English 

 in Natal and his rivals in Zululand were deter- 

 mined to destroy, while his hot-headed par- 

 tisans were not averse to the struggle. 



Not many weeks after the return of Cete- 

 wayo the Usutu party, composed of the young- 

 er and more ardent partisans of Cetewayo, 

 marched in a large body, mustering 80 com- 

 panies, against Usibepu in the northeastern 

 corner of Zululand, the chief who, under the 

 Wolseley settlement, received the wives of the 

 imprisoned king. Usibepu withdrew before the 

 superior force into the bush in the heart of his 

 country, where he prepared an ambush for the 

 invaders. While he lay in waiting with 20 

 companies and his picked guard of five compa- 

 nies, called the Mauhlagazus, small bands flying 

 before the Usutus led them on, flushed with 

 victory and burning the abandoned kraals, into 

 the ambuscade at Baugonono kraal. Usibepu 

 fell upon the advancing column without warn- 

 ing. In accordance with Zulu tactics, he closed 

 in on half of the army, and cut .it to pieces. 

 The remaining portion fled in a disorganized 



