, ,

26

Aan het Opperhoofd der ro1ong, addre $ing him •• Barde Vr1end en Bondgenoat ant 10 .", expressing regr t to he r that the emigr nt Dutoh f ar era had enoroaohed on hi territor.r. and not1fy1nB him that he wae ppointing a Oommi s100 to go into the matter.

On the 30th December 1851. the Commiss ion met ontst.1wQ t the eye of the Moloyo F"' ver. It con istej of Pi te'r ,Sohol tz and Adri an Stander aooompanied by t 0 fi ld-cornets nd ten ': armors.

ontshiwa came ith his t wo brothers ' otshegare ~d olema, ~coomp Died by _twenty other counsellors i .¢ludin th everend Jo~eph Lu~orf as 1n·terpreter, After friendly dis ous ion bound ry line between he Dut~h emigr nts and the Tshidl ~rolong as greed upon . ~his l ine hioh the hlatori n G. • Theal repe tedly alludes t

to but seems studiously to omit to pecify in bis otherwise very inform tive and f actu lly r el i ble work ,wa ro 0 eg to OttoahooPt thettc:e by gon rQad 1;0 Buurmansdrifii I' th no to th source of the Hartz River, and 40 Q alo'og th t river to a point o posi to ak ie ·, (Report of the Land Commie ~ p . 8l; nd E idenoe a~ the Bloemhof Inquiry p.183) .

he Conferenoe broke up friendship and -goodwill .

1th rene ed mutual assuraDoes of

1'v

In due oourse the f¥-ing of ",th . 00 ias 10D ~ atld its terms of gre ment 1 th the Tolon r 1. 1d before the Yolk r d and

i!DID.ed1 tely after thi • to wit Q . ~th 8th of J .aau ry 1852, f rom a Ifsburg, c~~n~~nt Gener~l ~ tor1uB, in the same courteous

mauner nd ton of b olut f..Dce,_rity commun,ie ted to ontahiwa , the Volkera d t s approv 1 of t h,G ,Commie 10 s recommendations • . The letter ~e ds:-

, .

, . aarde Vrien4 en Bondgenoot ~ontsh1oa,

at geno Se~ bah ik de R pport van de raad gelegd en ~1 heb b~t nen de e aring der Emigranten Boeren bunn go~~eering de r ' n gehegt . ' Ik vertrou dat in bet to kometid een inbreUk op u gronden zal em skt or an f Gn da t by u a,yde alle pogin en !liul t

11 nden uw volk , in goe. .. en reg 1 to houd n 4at onee vr1end ohaap nog 1 liS Z 1 4uur

Uw D •• Die ar en ·.vr1end. A. J . • retorius J,.,J~'.::

,~ ·TI.:. . !. b'bDia-Gen. I plio1 t 1n these confer no aad letters . f~~ " tbe "recolleotion by Camm ndant General Pretoriusand others of 'the fr1~dly re18t10118

that h d existed bet eo~ theem1gran~t~i~er5 and the rolong sillee ' 1J'I"1.o:. ,~ ~,~: ..... ~~ ..

the fhab eho days, a d tbe ooe 8100\"0£: t heir lliance against ~ (', "

ilikazi·. p11cit i the hope that ~bat .:£r1.en4ehip founded j,' . I

under such tr gic ciroumstanoes might ' e6t1tinue from genor tioD to generation , but above all the f ct th t ontshiwa bad territorial rights which, ·not only Pretorius but also the Volksraad and

the emigrant Boer generally recognised and ack.nowledged. I t , ••• /

27

It is boyond ueotion th t Pr torius and the emigrant Boers at this time recognised the rolong as a free and independent people, and had no visible designs upon their land and ,liberty. The tone of the conferences and the tiscussion sho 'that ' the Boers and

, ..

the l3e.rolong met as e uals nd spoke as man to man . The words: "orthy riend aDd Ally" 1 ys used by etoriu8 in addressing ontshiwa wero no meaningless effusion .

About the middle of the ye r 1851 , the R tlou cl n left otswiapetl ria (La pfontain) on the choonap.ru1 t ', and arrived

Lotlhak ne 1n t 0 partie under ais1 nd Gootse' r spectively , aisi ' a party was ,the larger , nd h d left ~ ots 1 petlw na b

,r aaon of discontent . Gontse w a the Ratlou r t - actin for loshete , nd h d been ,for 27 ye re , asisi ho s of s nior status felt th t Gohtse should have stood side' for him cd so

, he left to st rt his Owtl sho ,. Soon fter ,h ha rri ved t Lotlhak ne , Gontse came ith his group. He had , eft bec use of a quarrel ,between his people f mers on the choonspruit , one of hom. Hendr'ik 'Van Der erwe

• ~ ' . I

had 10st ~8 goats and sheep. nd having traoed their spoor t o .Gontse ' s village held him ccount ble for them,

. In J nu r,y 1852, a str age document kilo a the S nd

Oonvention was coneluded bet~een Gre t Brit 1n ' rid the South African Republic . Its terms were 11 proviously prepared and were now proposed by the delegates of the gr nt Boers nd ere readily agreed to by the British Commissioners ithout scrutiny.

In faot the Conference seems to have been pure formality , and that the iritish Commissiopers came with their mind ma e up to shed h t they and the British ministry in gl nd considered an intoler ble burden of dominioD ~ ~ it , the Eri ish Government guaranteed bse1ute independence to the tch ' s beyond the V al River . I't also bound itself not to make any lliances ith Atric n tribes nor to sell them fire rms or ammunition .

The el tion of the emigrant Boers over ,the' term of the greement as perfectly under t ndable . It as a victory for their

diplomacy and determin tion , for the tenacity of , their view on ricao ffai, rs or' tbe so-called native policy io hich they

ere to prove sod1fferent from, and even opposite to their nglish advers ries 1n after years ,and up to t his day . The Sand River Conventi on w s their agtla Ch rter , their 13~11 of Liberty. They had won their independence after striving for it for 16 years , and, says their historian, "men ho had never been moved to shed a tear by all the blo a tht dis ster had struck were ere s trangely moved that day . " (Theal 1834-1854 p. 487) .

ot so the Africans , not so the Eats na , not so the Barolon of ontahiwa . They could congratulate the Dutch Boers , or for that matter ny nation for achieving the boon of independencej

the ....... /

. I .

· tt ~

fR;/ /

28

the question of their 0 n alliance ith the British or wi th tho did not 'orry them if they were left to live thei~ ' lives in peace , but they hear ' ith re 1 dismay that they were p obib1t d from purchasing fire nne and ammuni tioD from both Europ'ea~ r ces and . wondered how tl'i y oop14 defendtbemselve e from one or the other if 'they should' be mQ.l t ed provoked or de 1>Oiled_7 The terms of the S ad iverOonvention brought to 'the forefront the problems that had been exoere1 tog th iode of the :Buer le dera . n,d were ao to loom over 0 ar p opla int rested 112 out ¥ r10. Th ohi f of these 'problem er: 1. ~he 1 gal righ~ of th m1gr at Boexoa to the bou d , iea of tbe 1 nds th y oocupied or 01 imed; 2, the 1 bour or s~ very of frio n ad their possession of 1 bd

. ,

rights,. 3, the pO e sion of gu ' 0 · unition or their sale to ricetl or ou side mil! tary a1 t nce to :f~'iC nsl The imp ct ':~ abd reperousaicsbs ' of these proble we sh 11 now 'notioe 1 th regard ,' 1

to ont hi-w . n4 hi ribs. fter

Shortly/the conclusion of the d Biver OonventioD, Qommand nt Plet chol tz, tile highest uthor1 ty itl the Lichte district obnvoned meeti g 'of all tbe ch'1e£s li v;1.D8 on the olop~

. River., the mat aubj ct of the e tlng being l nd 1 bour. It 1s s 1d nd t -1 credl 18 t dm1tted th t th 1 nd they lived in h d been overrun by zi, nd th t 1 t beloDso,d to :Boer mi nte by r1Bh of con uest, th t they (ItiL rl~) lived in 1t b. tbe oe of the emigr nto; tb t their he ts ere

1f4.i~~ , ull of ~~1tude nd they iled t e Dutch emig~ants s heir

rescuer , 1 Q4 th t the tribes oocupied er DQ a 14 to be ssi ed to th~~'!1 U PINk:.tv Mt~1-CvrJi",~~O,,"Fldt.iF;~ -t...? /jeJV'~UI':;fiV<

Die. ~ "'\J;tB ski te ptei S 0 met toe teming van die wi tm IS irA hullelD~e ~ ru verstoor ai. Hull s vervlig om n tyd tot ty d1onsvolk vitt hulle bl nk beker . re to versk f.

Ingeboorllnge at aie onder die juri 41 ie V n e n of nder aturelle kaptein g at n het nie s verplig 0 diBoer

ODder kontrak dion te doen, n weeskinders 1 vir ttl bep alde t14 by tba eboek.

This 1asion of :Boer suzer lnty , led ntuX' 11y to he next st p . The chiefs ere tuld th t ~hey must now L bour T x, that is, send the1r young men to '.%ab ur OD the fIelds of the :Soer ,1n consider tioD of the1r vassa~ ge nd occup. ney of the 1 Dds i ;.; thua sslgned to tbam. In this it i s i4 . they c uieseed. ontsh1va. ho ever. was at his re' uest rele s~d from bour ~ x,

W _ . M-~~~M-#;nL . and given ~option to pay t x in mone nd~beiD 11 ble to mil1 t r servioe li e ny burgher or Boer f mer .•

\

. Thi me ting is import nt first howing the senti Gnte ot gr titude end subservienoe hioh the Afric b "trib e entertained

t .. the time towar s the emigr nt ~ers for their expulsion of zilikazi, but human n tur being h t it i ,intima s th atebele d nger receded the chiefs be an to resent interferenoe

in their ffairs, to chafe under the foreign yoke and to set up claims of independence. econdly •• • • /

28

Secondly , th me tiDg is important s ShOW~D thedes1re of the Boer Ie del" > to seek Justifia t10D, for their '~ Del claims in expresly seek! tb(:l adm1ssioD. gr e nt and Qfiplaration of' the ohiefs th t all~· the 1 ad formerly dev t ted by tilikaz1 now belo.ged to the Dutoh Boers by risbt , of oonquest . Such admis ion , . gr ement or, deolar tiOD w t tamouDtto , t1 t1648ed • .. ,.

It w s useful to butress Potgieter ' s Proclamation issued in 1837 fter th defe t ofzili zl that all . the territory WhfCh zilik zl w foroed to bandon s foz-fiat d tc ,the oer 6 W uoh territory belng the hole ofth pr seat "Wrau 1 bout

th ' northern half of tb~ present Free St tet- ancl- 11 southern , 13eohu D lan4 w stward to the agare except tbe district of the

tlhap1ftg.

It g ve the Boere the right , ,therefore , to ' reg rd the rio n . . ribee ,11'1 this exte sive territory •• s th 1r ·au je'ets , or tr-nD nt-at'

and to tax them 1n labour or mo ey . ontshi therefore,b ving obosen the 1 tter s })l oed upo the foot1n of ' burgher , nd

de 11abl~ to ilit 1"y ervic lthougb thi S 01 rly 1n oonflict with tb te of th ree otly oObclude4 Sa dRiver

• .r

Cony at1on. nd of Boer trdi tioD hieh frown ~t military l1i noe · between bl ok ad hite.

After theJ r tifle t10a of the Sand III vel" Coh,ventioo by the Volkar4 ( arch 1852) th emigr nt oer dvnoed 'further justification of their right to the 1 Del by .doc1a1nD, th t th OObvention h dgrnted them u disputed 0 a reh!p ' Qf 11 t rl~1 tory

" ,. '. l' .I.'

north of the 881, th t th Y were left t liberty to fix

, ",

tl3 here the we tero ad e sterl'l borders of their oountry henoo bOWD a the Soutb Atria b Republic . An un issed 1"e ding of

the 00 vention ea s to oonfirm this vie ' .

Irrespective of the tch-~oer claim b4 tbe tive- fric ' I

admissions however, the delicate que tiOD of . equ~ty Dd morality is - if you dispo se Ii robber of stolen goods. do tbe goods become yours, or uet ~bey revert to their ort, ift 1 oW129r ? ' If

1 I ~ . ~ J; ,

' you drt ve the t bele 'off from the land of the Jats n, doee t ,

tbe land therefore become yours ? , '

About this tim " the oamp 1 of d1 r

',: , ~ "" n. ur 1 th t , " the V 1. urroun4et ,

the emergent outh £.riqaJl,"liepublic 1 unche ent of Afric n .tribe • 'It w s but

oer oommunity of 5. 000 t , :1:1ie north of , tens of thou nds of b~ Qk hom they

' ... ;':. ~onsidered thei&' ~tur 1 eDemi,.. houle! feel 'u.ne ' s'l 8Dd inseaur' ~ '\~i.;J • ,1 •

The Boer 1 deI'S ~emembcrd the confliot. "Qftbe ", ~th primitive we PODs aSiDst the Euro'peabt1f'or 1i~Ge u rte1"s '"

e ntury commenoing ,1 1779, nd realised th :,.· lmme sur ble . " ~uper10r1 ty of the gun , tc:> the ·e 1 a demo str e 'b the emi Boer Victory over the atebele t Vegkop in .1837. ·' 0 they

. e:re •• , •••• /

29

were OOD t nt17 r oeiving ole r evidenoe that ma~y fri02n tribes po se ed or ere aoquiring fire rms. ad th recent defeat of the ::British at Vi rvoet (30th JUDe 1851) by the imilarly rmed Baootho urged tb to take 1mm d1at t p • if th ere to survive , not only. to m ~ it impos ibls for Afrio DS to cqu1re gun and gunpo der. but to 0 pture tho e e pOD , lre dY in their (Afrie n t ) possession_

fter th i g of the S nd River OODV ot1on. therefore, Oomm ad nt G n r 1 ~i a ,Pretor1u bro ched the tt r to the 19b 00 i ion r Sir George C tho rtf Be 00 plaiDed th t English

hunt r8 and tr dere going north rd to Beohu 1 1. 11 ad and the Z besi bY , the !rr d re or is ionary 0 long the weatern border of the outh Afrioan epub110 w re in the habit of supplying

ric n trib ith fire ms 1 defi noe of the provisions of the ad 1ver Oonvention. e eked th t they hould be oompelled to

go throug .otchef tr~~ to check this. This however proved impractic ble, nd th tr de 1n firearms , depending 8 it did OD

barter for ivory and 0 ttl tV S impossible to cOlltrol " nd went merr11y on.

) !he South Urio n Republic on the pr text that Atric n trib s

ere ate ling their c ttli~ '4 move. fir t geinst tb pedi of Sekw t1 the Lulu ount 1n (9 Augu t 1852) . Th pi were e sed ot thous D of c ttle Dd h p;t the ~ns nd rOUb S

It'\.- 1fi::A., ~tU4'~L ~ of unition t 7 h d in th ir po se 8ion n / th ¥ lost thous 4 of en. wo en ad childre t killed or strved to ,d 8tb .

The seoon4 move s iast th~ kgatla ot os1alele on

the rioo, .. hioh invol veel or ~/l~;~P in tb~ att .~ _ pD the nen of Seohele. end that 'l.ni a quarrel l. th ontall1 . ~ . • I ,,,,~

the acousation . ere aga1n t : ' ~

1 . os1ele1e:() t

~0,/ :~ t though h d b l) P y;i.Q ' the L bour T x.

now atl ut (oheeky) an deolined to do ny lOflg r,

ont hi

, .

( )

(b) (e)

:(8)

( ) ( )

th this p ' opl 'h d b com troublesome- s 0 ttle thieves;-th t he probably h d guna, 4 ammunition in hi pO se 10n, t t he bad f1 gr otly defied, the South Afric n Republio by b tt1ng nd refu illS to h 12

os101e1e over; th t he s se tiDS up 018i to independence; that he bad n bundant to~e , Qf guns and ammunition - bout 500 ns; th t he h d disobeyed the orders of Comm nd nt

et r Scholtz to 1st hi in fighting Sech lee th t he s tting up 01 i . of independence; tb t 'hi trib oonduoted c ttl 11£t1n on D extensive soale .

fbe oommon ourse of c ttle lif'ting w s tribes, and this nearly lway led to

de in t all Afrioan ek1rmi,eh. if Dot r .

th r .... /

i

1/

30

There is no r eason to doubt th t in the m jor1ty ~f cases such 1

thefts did in fact take pl ce bec u in frio n tradition, to rob your natural eDemy of his cattl . as not con ide'red a orime . It

; . I

W S a normal tb1l'lg for b nds of young men to go ou.t to etp p et or . · 1:1 •

oapture the oattle of »oer em1~ants. It w a Dot' considered a

theft, but r ther s conf1so tioD, repriBal~ nd/o'r i~~~~tion , the UDderl~iDg PSYCh010g1a~~anct1on be1ngAa UI1ied .

CWv ~ • eAIIG;. 11'-'"1 ~C~-;I ~ '7+~~ A'~ ~-It...AI . a... ,(~/"---e' • Suoh wer'e lhomed1 lMakgetl mong ' thefshidi . rolona a . okoto

ootaoa1 ong thfJ Ratlou olongl the trib often m de counter ccus tiol) of cattle ~ theft against the emigrant farmers, ' but could

not of course fol10 tb spoor r1gh~ into the farm ,for tear ' of . 01'.....- ,. .

the~r lives, whe7 e . poor or upposed spoor of, strayed c ttle s ~ g rded by the hites s proof positive of tbeir being tolen

by me~ ,6f 'tbe ' vil1$ge to b1ch 1 t led,j~~,.c,i..1l'-""'- ~t ;L....~ . r-e-~ ~etr.t~r~~e..- ' . -- ------=-------.

. be negrect or refuB 1 of Africans to y the 1 bour tax, ,

nd the cl 1m of i~d pendence .e ; ~ v noticed as 'a ntur 1 1f conii enoe .. ij:~.; ; .feeling' ot "ecurity here

w pprehenaion d l'tHff.ideno !here 1 not the t doubt th t c ttle bolonging to Atrio n ' wer oiten '

d l1ber tely t b by the Dutch by y of r prisal , or by the - ... --. str ble philosophy t t t belo BS to the · n~ ttve" y rigbtly be taken without pe 1as10n" . , . t7r ~k~if:-I../

,

be po s saion of fir arms nc! ammunition. by the tribes, . hile essentially true, s ex er te in th uspic10us minds

of the bite . i1e every 1 ok m n dosir d to have gun n4 sunpowd r, " thee ere nev r po s d by tbe tribe in ne rly the proportl0 th t 1t s 1 gined, Dar were th. n oe 8 r11y aoquired for military purpos • '.

The oountry bOUDded in g e d ' 14 b ,he gun w , Dot only w po of otf9Dce and def rac • but also n pparatus o~ sport and of livellhooi.

In any c _~_ Comman ant oholtz act out fr~ Klein rico with comm nd of 300 to 400 burghers ith order to arrest

o 1 lelo who h d fled to chele for protection , ' nd if Secbele refusd to 8urrelider him, to att ok Sechele. Before le ving,

ebol tz at t b - = Yett r to ontahiw , who being 1 ced on the I

footiDg of burgher. w e 11 le 0 m1l1try service: Cl~#f~(70 ) Chief ~oDtah1

, ~

You re anded to send edt tely 20 rm d 9 . on borsc nd provided 1th Yictu 18 for

a - tortQight to ss! 11 us in puni hiPS Seo ' le . I am,. .to . P . • Scbol tz: Oom ."

o th1. 0 tah! replied from Lotlhak n As I " r~apone1 ble to God nd an for h t It or people under mJcomm nd. do , ere len accede to your order t please first d1st1nctly 0 inform me what the sin unto death of Sechele is ? :./IM..f&v ~1f-k. __ I... (.:,!~-~ ~;,114 7-1. _ . -J.- ) . __ . _ . J~ .. I,·· J . • • .. , I ",... <·-!v~.f~- ~ /kc ~,-",--". " q ~~ v~ fr Wr~""" j'--"'»-" ;.crp-n."" "' '' t '.~ Oommandant • • • /

37

it challenged the bation his uthority rested. ,It 11fe.

1 re11g1o and tradition upo which much of as an inharmonious ele ent ill the tribal

During the sojourn of the rolong in Th be. cno (1833-1841). som.e of them had been converted to Christi nity . Or.i f ong these were apulana Iakgetla nd Galebo Th aae, t wo v.ery old men of Ta ' s age group, Leinana otlogel a, slam Tau and J n Leehomo, Montshi a counsellors. and olema, tontehiwafs 0 , n brother. ~ , "

r eason of his birt olema wa the n tural lea der of th1s sect of alien a1th ..

During the t :we,ly:e ye r of the rolong migr tions these men had f ithfully ~arried on ith their preaching, their ola~ meetings

, , '

nd their or"'J;lip 'and h , .~ .attr, ct d m ny into the oircle of , . Christian li~ht '; ~ ~'~hat t t1 ng in 1841 to ~647, . nd at Lot lhak n " ~h ·,~ ~849 to 1852, their numbers he d teedily inc::'9 sed •

.. ,,: >,' {l~;· '

ow at osh"n ng, ith the more sett1 d state the tribe, th a Peopl of the ord es they were c lled formed themselves into

an organi~d society whose way of life stood out in sharp contrast to ma~y h ethen praetioes and trib 1 customs dem nded by their n tional re11gio~. - This as gre t emb r.ras6m~t to the chief :

ontshiw all the ore oause his 0 n d ught ,r .. ~uku, nd hi ' brother .01 m nd Sa , . ere leaders ·, !n this ~evolutio ry n

subvers ive move~n l'

ben the everend John ckeczi of the London 1 s1onar,y Society visited 0 haneng in 1860, and 1862, he '~ound the relations

, strain d between the oonserv tive party led by the chief and ok e si his uncle and mentor in a!:t oa, leon ~~e ona side nd

tlte Christian party led by olema, S · anefacd Du16i an bis ' brothers / ~ daughter on the other side. r ckenzie wr ontshiW- .

cd Tolema who ere brothers, we h ve an in t nc of the sep ration whi ch the gospel akes in he then 1 nds. the one believing in F ganism cd the other in ~~ri8t • •••• The young people especially were losing oonfidence in the old customs and giving incre sed att ntton to the ~ doctrines t ught fro~ the ordo! God • • ••••

ontshiwa the chief assumed an tti ude of open hostility to his Christi .n subjects, and matters ere brought to crisis by the ' unusually large number of young people, ho under religious , impression e sed to take n inter t i~ those subjects whioh engage the attention of the young 1n heathen town . The chi f ' s decision was th t they must fir~t observ th ~:usual ous tom of their fore-

~t'" ~ .

fathers. and especially that they must observe the reed dance, nd that they might after wards, if they ohose join the word of

God . olema and his disciple ere oppos.ad to the course s oae which virtually obliged ~'the~ to serve two asters - one can 1m gine the consequent pitsos, accusations. defenoes and ener 1 loud talk in public; the sserver tions, the upraidings nd the f m1ly

strifes . ' . ........ /

38

strifes in private . (J. ckenzie: The OrsJlge River . pp . 103, 228 . 229)

Dr. Emil Holub, an uatrian gentleman and traveller who visl ted oshaneng 1& 1873 m de the same observatlon " and that hen Oft the dvice of the r in doctors the tribe s ordered to take part in the ceremonies of rain making, the folIo era of the bew faith refused to como. and 80~ the chief forba~Church g therings nd servioes. and dispersed ny people 0 minde4. Howevor, ontsh1 a later -found the oonvert to be the most loyal nd

industrious of his poople . ( mil Holub: Seven 'fe rs in South Afric p . 296) .

to compare small things with great things , the position t o haneng resembled ' the period of the rise of, Christi oi ty heD,

the Roman emperors Vie . ad it s divisive force snd considered. it their duty ts 0ppo e and orush it ad ,to persecute its leaders

114 followers.

In the me nt1me , while perplexity ruled at oshaneng. things , 11-were going nere too ell t the po11tic 1 arona t the olopo . In 1865 ) the Boers from the western Transv 81 bad come to olema at flkeng to 'demand ' hut tax', or alternatively labourers , but of course he rejected their demand angrily on the grounds that the ro10ng were no~ subjects of the Tr nsvaal .

About this time ,. ther occured two rel ted evento which further oomplicated . tters alre dy ooniua d, lnflamed the emotioDs and quiokened the lust of disputants and their referees , while

,also providing sioi tar motive for some of the most dishonest act t moat tortuous deCisions to be foull4anywher.e it) history .. !heet event were th discovery of 41 onds an4 th discovery

j • .t:;!

of old. At the end of 1866.. and t e begirmillg of 1867 diamonds are

discovered on the Or ge Biver and the northornbank of' the Vaal Elv r adjacent to the ound ry of the !r n vaal , . n4 in December of the ama. ear" a German m1tlero,logist - K rl auch discovered gol~ t the !atl 1str1ot bout 200 miles north- est of the fr DBvas,l border. Shortly fter thi more gold s discovered in at beleland.

In 1867 one Soh lk I .. v n iekerk ad oue John O' Reilly found three Dutcb ohi1dren named Jacobs playing Dear Ropeto with stones ODe of h1Cb ae 21 carat di~ond and was sold

i for £500 to the High Oommission r Sir il11 odehouae .

In 1869 after several small finds on .the Or D e nd Vaal River banks s. second atone 83 car twas fOUb4 near Hopetown in the possession of 8" star4 - Bushman-kB£fir- (whatever kind of creation that may be) named art 001 · ho exch oged it ~ith s ... vnn ikerk for a w gon with s n of ox n cd

t rek •••••• /

! I I,

i l \,

. ,

~I

In "'--l ic on its western borders aGain called UPOD olema, who was nO i~

perm nently at afikeng to pay t es to their government. Again he refused and s supported by ontshiws ' ln the f'oi-mula that the

rolong were independent and in no way liable to t xation by the Sou'th Atric n epubl1c~ "If", s ld ontsh1 ! "there is not soon

. \

m de n nd to th1 1 wless m tter, I shall be obliged to hand it over to Her Br1 t; ;a1;ct,. ajesty· a High Oommiseio, Sir hillip .o eOl!' house, with the e est re uest to rbitr te bet een me and my , oat noble llles". . .'

Shortly after thi ) .. ,."

(Septemb r) _ ontshi a and Pretoriu ' had s.n intervie durihg the course of whioh e ch sa~f a chanoe of .:{:;S'

reoeiving further proot of his right to the diamondiferous district , to which the d sire of the world w s no turned, and s the question of ownership of~ 41amond fields between the Harts nd Vaal rivers

- .,...

had given urgency to boundaries they agr d that a conference between commis 10n of the Sout Afric D R public nei all the chiefs co eerned should be convened ne r fiken,g ith 'view to coming to final settlement. \,

In July 1870 ontshi g v wide publicit, to the de nd of the outh A1r~oan Republic, hi repudi tion (j" ' t;-iielr,' authori ty to tax him and bis 01 1m to his oouD~ry the limL!s hereof he , gain defi ed. . "

the oonferenoe w s duly beld t urmaDsdrift 0 the 15th of ov mb r 1870. !he South African Republio w s represent d ~y Preside t •• etor1us, Comm ndant Gen rel aui ruger, Hendrik

.. . Greef. Ja~o,b~ 5Dym D nd five others, w1:'11e the frioa chief present ere oDtqhi oroka, ole • Iz k atl ne, ksobi, Phoi nd tl b of the roloag, oil of the Eshurutsh t arioo; G seit 1we of the Eangwk t e , nye, ' nd drie Rey

repres atiag c~~~ vid osweu of th oraDs at emus. nd the Reverend J. Ludorf s in~erpreter, besid e about t enty counsellors.

In th conferenoe,. ontshiw 01 1m d for 11 the roloDS 01 ns the territorybouDded on the 'orth by the ' olopo Div r in the hole of 1 ts course, and leo from :1. ts sourc'e to the source of the H rts (olong) iver, th no to th souro of the Schoosprui t ' (Kbing); and on at by the Schoon pru1t; the south by

the Va 1 River down to its confluence 1th the Harts River , nd ,thence by a li~e ,bet een the Earolong and the Batlhap1ng. On the est by the illimitable gal re desert. Of this doain,

oroka"s share W 13 the portion between the Ha rts River and the ohoonspruit, hlch he 01 1med as n inheritance from his fore! thers,

and said he able to point out old ruins and rem ine of atoDe kl'aals s evidenoe of the1r formet' bode.

o

~he 01 lms of the Baro10Dg were based on the grounds of 0

1., •••••••

41

Rece1V1 g DO rep~ to his letter. ontsh1wa OD the 26th August wrote to Sir Philllp 0 ehouse the H1gh .. Oomml sioner. askiDS ' ~or help nd protect,ion: ' , '

).11r"~;'f • , . '. . £~r~t'.·\' ~

ay it ple your Excellency to perm1~ ~t~ ~ders1 ed chlef ot the ' ~olo.6 to 'take refu u dar yQur protecting Wings from th ' 1D~u8't1oe of th b DSV al Re ' b110. whose Government has 1 te17. 'bJ proclamation 1D01114 our aoun'17 within the POS8 8s10D ' of the sa14 epub11o ' .-

, I. ' ','

hi lett r reeill , '4,; t e hi t017 of the , 4eal~ ~ '\9t. th , BarolonB .. , all4 the Boers , ' up to their ,ree" ' putes and

, counter-al i "o--~[. ,! '-F<--I';ttJ-V!-- .

,1 About 1850 'or.ae , no'tb r tool[ ," ~sessl0 of the , tounta1DS 8n4 lao ,of the :Barolo.. en ~D. le51, tho latter

complained to OOlDlll&D'4arit ~Deral.A. Pret()r1u.* ~, be $pp01Dted '. ' 'J

a commi alon of some oommandants aD 'fiel 00 '·' et . aD a boUD~Y ' liDe W8 agre4Ht taPOD betweeD the" epu lic 811 " 11& oloDg. 'fbi line was 0 'be the Harte River from hellO 'it enters the th 1 Hi ver i up 0 be eye ' of the Hart R& ' " ., • •• trom there

l

w1 th h go ro to he he fount in of itopo River. thence , ~ t •

1;,0 a very larg IOUDt 1n 0 lle . Poose umana.. ~om there to ' • I' \.

the gon<1r1ft of the 1'08 from Lotlha .IU' .cr~.. the , olopo I ~'0

to neir. &rioo '. " . )l , , . • • • • • • '. ADd ow." 'hC?~' the least , provoCl ".op on our side •• ., ,'

the !raDsvaal R ,PUbl1,o '" epr:1ves ue by th s81 . proolamation , of our 1 D4e an , li~ty; in t whioh 8 oul pr.otest:1

-c:

d. the stronges t J;'DlS an entr at Your Ex~e;L1eJ201 s Her . -' BrittaDie je tl High OOmmissioner, to pt~tect us.-

, '

_ tlNttti~/"sI~~_/_~1. IfPl 1/N.Ji/mJlII#IIIt;N.%tp~/~:\ ( ;,1J/~"i~JI. ' 'i: liil. /i~~t./.t.U~t,#./1fI{tJl_p~f¥/l#tH._IJI-I'P$ttl" .,

, Ii ~'._i"'/;' ··lft~tJ#sI~/YJ~~.Uj_/t."'-JtJ __ ~~~J.#t'l'/'it$'sll ~/~tJ.,i';'~'J'/j#_~ ~~ ~'lp~/~, ~'I./~p/* {-J'I. . 'It~~t,l_/

Collection Number: A979 Silas T MOLEMA and Solomon T PLAATJE Papers PUBLISHER: Publisher:- Historical Papers, University of the Witwatersrand Location:- Johannesburg ©2012

LEGAL NOTICES:

Copyright Notice: Copyright for all materials on the Historical Papers website is owned by The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and is protected by South African copyright law. Material may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, or otherwise published in any format, without the prior written permission of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

Disclaimer and Terms of Use: Provided that you maintain all copyright and other notices contained therein, you may download material (one machine readable copy and one print copy per page) for your personal and/or educational non-commercial use only.

People using these records relating to the archives of Historical Papers, The Library, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, are reminded that such records sometimes contain material which is uncorroborated, inaccurate, distorted or untrue. While these digital records are true facsimiles of paper documents and the information contained herein is obtained from sources believed to be accurate and reliable, Historical Papers, University of the Witwatersrand has not independently verified their content. Consequently, the University is not responsible for any errors or omissions and excludes any and all liability for any errors in or omissions from the information on the website or any related information on third party websites accessible from this website.

This document is part of a collection owned by the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and deposited at Historical Papers at The University of the Witwatersrand.