Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 4.djvu/252

 acquiring the Angra Pequena district for his countrymen, also attempted to occupy the maritime territory encircling the St. Lucia lagoon. But Portugal had long asserted her rights over the whole of this region between the lagoon and Delagoa Bay, and especially over the basin of the Maputa River from its mouth in the bay as far as the Lubombo Hills. It was accordingly announced in March, 1888, that the Queen of Amatongaland had formally recognised the sovereignty of Portugal over the part of her territory comprised within the southern boundaries assigned to Portugal by the MacMahon award.

The Amaswazi (Ama-Swazi) territory lying more inland beyond the Lubombo range is even more seriously menaced than the Amatonga domain, for it forms an intervening zone between the Transvaal plateau and Delagoa Bay, and is also known to abound in mineral wealth. The Boer grazers often penetrate into this district, where they claim certain rights of pasturage, and usually come armed in order to vindicate those pretensions against all comers. On the other hand, the English of Cape Colony and Natal demanded in 1887 the appointment of a British agent to reside with the King of the Swazi people, and to afford military aid against the Boer intruders from the inland plateaux. English missionaries were already stationed in the country so early as 1822; and although they were massacred they were followed by other preachers of the gospel, who founded more permanent stations in Swaziland.