fs entered into a treaty with Her
Majesty's Government, by which the limits of Basutoland were
recognised roughly in 1845. The Basuto chiefs agreed by
convention with Her Majesty's Government to a concession of land
on terminable leases, on the condition that Her Majesty's
Government should protect them from Her Majesty's subjects.

"In 1848 the Basuto chiefs agreed to accept the Sovereignty of
Her Majesty the Queen, on the understanding that Her Majesty's
Government would restrain Her Majesty's subjects in the
territories they possessed.

"Between 1848 and 1852, notwithstanding the above treaties, a
large portion of Basutoland was annexed by the proclamation of
Her Majesty's Government, and this annexation was accompanied by
hostilities, which were afterwards decided by Sir George Cathcart
as being undertaken in support of unjustifiable aggression.

"In 1853, notwithstanding the treaties, Basutoland was abandoned,
leaving its chiefs to settle as they could with the Europeans of
the Free State who were settled in Basutoland and were mixed up
with the Basuto people.

"In 1857, the Basutos asked Her Majesty's Government to arbitrate
and settle their quarrels. This request was refused.

"In 1858 the Free State interfered to protect their settlers, and
a war ensued, and the Free State was reduced to great
extremities, and asked Her Majesty's Government to mediate. This
was agreed to, and a frontier line was fixed by Her Majesty's
Government.

"In 1865 another war broke out between the Free State and the
Basutos, at the close of which the Basutos lost territory, and
were accepted as British subjects by Her Majesty's Government for
the second time, being placed under the direct government of Her
Majesty's High Commissioner.

"In 1871 Basutoland was annexed to the _Crown_ Colony of the Cape
of Good Hope, without the Basutos having been consulted.

"In 1872 the _Crown_ Colony became a colony with a responsible
Government, and the Basutos were placed virtually under another
power. The Basutos asked for representation in the Colonial
Parliament, which was refused, and to my mind here was the
mistake committed which led to these troubles.

"Then came constant disputes, the Disarmament Act, the Basuto
War, and present state of af