Lesotho -- Social life and customs; Sotho (African people)
Mosheshue died in 1880, and was succeeded by his eldest son Letsie, a
man of a cruel, crafty nature, who held his people forcibly to their
allegiance, threatening, "smelling out," and in many cases actually
torturing those who showed signs of rebellion. Strange to say, shortly
before his death, he expressed a wish to become a Christian, but died
before being baptized, in the spring of 1892, and was buried with great
pomp and ceremony on the top of Thaba Bosigo, the burial-place of the
great chiefs. His son, Lerotholi, then became the Paramount Chief.
Lerotholi must be now about fifty years of age. He is a big, stout man,
not nearly so pleasing or attractive in appearance as some of the other
chiefs, but by no means devoid of intelligence, and at times can be
extremely polite and agreeable. As a boy, he was not allowed to share
the educational advantages of his brothers, and was for a time kept in
the mountains, in charge of his father's cattle; consequently he can
neither read nor write, but he has considerable natural ability, and is
quick to penetrate the right and wrong of the cases brought up to him
for judgment. Unfortunately, he inherits some of his father's cruel and
crafty qualities, and is much feared by his people, but he has a
wholesome respect for his Sovereign, and that Sovereign's
representative, the Resident Commissioner. Yet, with such a nature as
his, I should think the greatest tact and patience are necessary. He
has, however, proved himself undoubtedly loyal, as have almost all the
other chiefs, and, in fact, the whole nation; but how much is due to
their own "good hearts," and how much to the tactful way in which they
were handled, added to their hatred of the Dutch, I leave others to
unravel.
Lerotholi is, of course, a polygamist, but then almost, if not all, the
chiefs are the proud possessors of more than one wife, though none would
dare to support an establishment as large as his, even if they could
afford to do so.
He lives at Matsyeng, the headquarters of the Paramount Chief, situated
a short distance from Maseru, which latter place is the headquarters of
the Government. Near here is held the annual "Pitso" or Parliament, to
which all the chiefs, the headmen and thousands of less exalted
personages flock. This Pitso is "called" by the Resident Commissioner,
who presides over the whole proceeding, surrounded by his staff, and all
the Assistant Commissioners from the separate districts. The laws which
have been drawn up or altered during the past year are then read out to
the people, and receive the approval of the chiefs. There is naturally a
good deal of discussion, but the people quite acknowledge British rule,
and know that when a law is made they must obey it, though, if any real
objection is brought forward, it always receives due attention.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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