Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa from 1873 to 1884, Volume 1 (1919).djvu/50

30 proposed to be organised, and volunteers were recommended to be encouraged.

By persons at a distance the danger described in this report was regarded as greatly exaggerated, and parliament, when it met, was indisposed to incur the expense recommended, but before the year ended there was ample proof that the border was really in a condition of peril.

In 1873 the territory between the river Kei and the colony of Natal was occupied by a number of tribes independent of each other, among whom war was almost constant. The British government had disclaimed authority over them all, but some of them—particularly the Fingos and the different clans that had been located by Major Gawler at Idutywa—refused to be abandoned, and looked to the Cape colonial government for protection, without which they could not exist. These people, having no chiefs of rank over them, regarded the diplomatic agents in the country not as mere consuls, but as their rulers, and construed advice given to them as orders which they willingly obeyed. There were the Galekas, the Bomvanas, the Tembus proper, the emigrant Tembus, the Pondomsis in two sections, the Bacas, the Xesibes, the Pondos in two sections, the Griquas, the little communities located by Sir Philip Wodehouse along the base of the Drakensberg, and some others of minor importance, from any of whom a disturbance might arise that would end in a big war.

As the territory was no longer of the value that it had been when a large portion of it was unoccupied and might without injustice to any one have been used for settlement by Europeans, neither the colonists nor the government cast a covetous eye upon it. Its possession could not add to the public wealth, but on the contrary would cost more money to maintain than could be derived from it. But the colonial government felt itself under the necessity of taking the responsibility of