Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/525

 BECHUANALAND

181

parts, two mines being actively worked for local supply. Stock, &c. (1891) : 81,194 horses, cattle 320,934, ploughs 10,434, waggons 808. Probably more than three-fourths of the cattle died of rinderpest during the year 1897.

There are 144 schools (mostly missionary), with 7,543 pupils ; grant in aid, 3,799/. There are two small Government schools and some industrial schools.

The police force numbers 247 men (23 Europeans). Total convictions (1897 -98), 308. Prisoners in gaol (June 30, 1898), 92.

The imports consist chiefly of blankets, ploughs, saddlery, clothing, iron and tin ware, and groceries. Imports in 1897-98, 100,280Z. The total exports in 1897-98 were 138,500/. The exports consist chiefly of grain, cattle, and wool. The conuneicial intercourse is almost exclusively with the Cape Colony and Orange Free State, and on July 1, 1891, Basutoland was admitted into Customs Union with these States.

The currency is exclusively British, but exchange is still largely conducted by barter. The revenue arises from the Cape contribution (18,000/.), the Post Office, native hut tax (at the rate of 10*. per annum), and the sale of licences.

Revenue. Expenditure

1892-93

1893-94

1891-95

1895-96

1896-97

1897-98

41,045 39,838

£

43,667 41,301

£

44,627 43,064

£

45,653 42,970

£

45,867 45,768

£

46,555 44,797

There is no public debt.

There are no navigable waterways, the rivers being low in winter and generally flooded in summer. The roads in the country are now in good condition for any kind of transport. The line of postal communication is through the Cape Colony and Orange Free State. There are telegraph offices at Maseru and Mafeteng in communication with the Cape Colony telegraph system ; and there is also telegraphic communication between Maseru and Ladybrand, the Orange Free State bearing part of the cost.

Resident Commissioner. — Sir G. Y. Lagden, K.C.M.G.

Government Secretary. — H. C. Sloley.

References. — Colonial Report. Annual. London.

BarW.v (Mrs.), Among Boers and Basutos. 2d. ed. 8. London. 1894.

Johnston (Sir Harry), The Colonisation of Africa. Cambridge, 1899.

iVohif (J.), Illustrated Official Handbook of the Cape and South Africa. 8. London. 1893

Widdicombe (J.), Fourteen Years in Basutoland. London, 1892.

BECHUANALAND PROTECTORATE.

The Bechuanaland Protectorate comprises the territory lying between the Molopo River on the south and the Zambezi on the north, and extending from the boundaries of the South African Republic and Matabeleland on the east to the confines of German South- West Africa (5'. t'.). The total area is about 213,000 square miles, with a population estimated at 200,000. The most important tribes within the territory are the Bamang- wato, under the chief Khama, ^Yhose capital is the town of Palachwe (population 25,000) in the Choping Hills ; the Bakhatla under Lenchwe ; the Bakwena under Sebele ; the Bangwaketse under Bathoen ; and the Bamaliti under Ikaneng. In November, 1895, on the annexation of the Crown Colony to Cape Colony, new arrangements w^ere made for the administration of the protectorate, and special agreements were made in view of the extension of the railway northwards from Mafeking. The boundaries of the three tribes affected by these agreements were fixed anew, and the mode of administra- tion of the protectorate was settled. Each of the chiefs, Khama, Sebele, and