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White
Settlers
This new and powerful group, the white people from the Cape
Colony, began crossing the Orange River in large numbers in
the mid-1830s. They trekked in ox-waggons, lived partly by
hunting and eventually some settled as farmers on land
within Moshoeshoe's Kingdom and in adjacent areas. For the
Basotho the next thirty years was a time when only the
statesmanship and diplomacy of Moshoeshoe saved their nation
from extinction.
A Treaty made with the Governor of the Cape in 1843
recognised Moshoeshoe as an ally, with duties to maintain
order in a large area north of the Orange River. In return
he would,receive a sum of $75 per year from the Colonial
Treasury. In 1845 this was replaced by a second Treaty which
recognised white settlement on part of Moshoeshoe's
territory, but without clearly defining boundaries.
In 1848 the Orange River Sovereignty was proclaimed, making
the area between the Orange and Vaal Rivers British
territory. A British Residents Major Warden, was placed in
charge at the newly founded town of Bloemfontein. Major
Warden was instructed to delineate boundaries between the
different chiefs, a procedure quite unacceptable to the
Basotho who regarded the Barolong, the Griqua and the white
farmers as settled on part of their own territory. Warden's
boundary line aroused such resentment that the two sides
resorted to arms. After attacks had been made on the Bataung
of Moletsane, allies of Moshoeshoe, the Basotho came to
their aid. At the Battle of Tihela, near Ladybrand, in 1851,
a crushing defeat was delivered on Major Warden's force
which included Barolong, Batlokoa, Griqua and white farmers.
A blow such as this to British prestige aroused a
predictable reaction, and it was decided that Moshoeshoe
should be punished. No less a personage than the High
Commissioner for the Cape Colony, Lieutenant-General Sir
George Cathcart brought 2 000 troops and in December 1852
camped with them near the Mohokare River, opposite the
present site of Maseru. The Basotho were ordered to pay
within three days a fine of 10 000 head of cattle and I 000
horses. Moshoeshoe, who always preferred peace to war, met
Cathcart at his camp to request peace, but to no avail.
Only a third of the required cattle had been brought in at
the expiry of the deadline, and Cathcart began military
operations against Moshoeshoe. His force split into three
columns, one of which soon mounted the Berea Plateau to
round up cattle. As the 12th Royal Lancers were driving the
cattle down from the Plateau on the north side, a force
under Moshoeshoe's son, Molapo, attacked from the rear, and
the British troops suffered heavy losses. That evening the
Basotho further harassed Cathcart's men and caused the
captured animals to stampede and break away. Meanwhile,
realising that more was to be gained by diplomacy than by
continuing the fight, Moshoeshoe sent Cathcart a letter
which enabled him to withdraw without feeling that he had to
avenge a defeat.
Cathcart and his force withdrew. Shortly afterwards
Moshoeshoe defeated his old rival Sekonyela, and the entire
upper Mohokare Valley came under his direct control.
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