Notes on the Bushmen of Basutoland. 449 



an exaggeration, considering the sparseness of native population a 

 century ago. In the destruction of the Bushmen the whites took 

 a prominent part. There were recognised Bushmen hunts in the 

 Cape Colony up to 1830, and when the Boers crossed the Orange 

 and the Vaal the process went on. Commandoes were regularly 

 organised to hunt them down like wild beasts. No attempt was 

 ever made by Bantu or European to conciliate them, at least not on 

 any scale. Driven from the territories they occupied so long, the 

 last of the once numerous clans betook themselves to the fastnesses 

 of the Malutis, that great double range of extinct volcanoes which 

 forms the backbone of Basutoland. In the wild gorges of the 

 upper Orange Eiver the few survivors that had escaped the general 

 slaughter, held out till within the last forty years. The disastrous 

 end of the last chieftain of the Maluti Bushmen and his little clan 

 may fittingly bring this narrative to a close. 



In the large cave at Sehonghong already mentioned there lived 

 the last chief of the Maluti Bushmen, Swai by name. Stow, in his 

 '^ Native Eaces of South Africa," gives an account of the destruction 

 of the clan, which is inaccurate in many respects. Briefly his 

 account is as follows: " Twei " (as Stow spells the name) "was 

 besieged in his cave by some of Allison's men " (whoever these were). 

 " He had a few guns, and defended himself courageously, but his 

 bullets giving out, he was reduced to firing blank charges, whereupon 

 his assailants discovering the ineffectual nature of the fire, made a 

 rush for the cave, and overpowered him and those who had taken 

 refuge with him." 



From the native minister of the district, the Eev. J. Moteane, I 

 have received the following account of what took place : " The Bush- 

 men had first been scattered by the chief Joel, of Qalo near Botha- 

 Bothe. A few were killed, and several women and children carried 

 off. Later on their continued depredations led to other reprisals 

 under Jonathan, of Leribe. The place is still called Lehaha la Swai, 

 or the Cavern of Swai. Jonathan went about his business in a very 

 methodical manner. Arriving in the vicinity of the cave at dusk he 

 rested for the night. At dawn he stationed some of his men as 

 sentinels on the precipices overlooking the cave, while the remainder 

 of his force kept well out of sight. As soon as the sun rose, the 

 Bushmen to the number of ten left the cave for the purpose of hunt- 

 ing. They made their way up the Senqu. Leaving some of his 

 men to watch the women and children in the cave, Jonathan with 

 the rest gave chase. The Bushmen immediately hid themselves 

 among the reeds and bushes of the river-bank, except four or five 

 who made for the tops of the hills. The chief hid himself in a deep 



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