Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Astute African king meets young British Prince Alfred
Some key events from this week in history are reflected in the following reports from the archives of the Argus’s 160-year-old titles.
AS PAGEANTS go, the massed gathering in the hills beyond Aliwal North in August 1860 was a spectacle of note.
It was, almost improbably, a royal encounter – one that was remarkable for the high hopes pinned on it, and poignant for the failure of that optimism in the decades that followed.
The engagement between perhaps the most astute of the African kings of the region, 74-year-old Basuto paramount Moshoeshoe, and 16-year-old English prince, Alfred, son of the most powerful queen in the world of the time, went much further than their exchange of “tiger-skin” karosses. Or so it seemed at the time.
Cape readers were persuaded that Prince Alfred’s visitation “amongst half-savage and still barbarian tribes of the frontier” meant that “they will doubtless interpret his visit as a message of peace and goodwill, and it may be that tidings of the fair-haired boy will penetrate among the tribes into the far interior, and gathering importance as they pass along, the savage may regard him as the herald of a better day, when slavery and its woes shall be over, and hereafter tell that wealth, happiness, and prosperity for the sons of Africa dated from the visit of the son of Victoria”.
Even if this has the ring of “top-nation elation” – a phrase crafted by historian Simon Schama for a different if still British imperial context – such optimism might not have been wholly misplaced. A convulsive change, however, was just round the corner; only seven years later, the discovery of diamonds a few hundred kilometres north, in Griqua territory, and, later, gold on the Witwatersrand, swiftly altered southern Africa’s economic and political fortunes.
Back in August 1860, though, none of that could have been foreseen, and the goodwill must have seemed real enough.
Many thousands of words were devoted to the stripling Alfred’s visit by Cape newspapers, providing a fascinating glimpse into a world that was soon to change.
Two days before the Prince’s arrival in Aliwal North, “the influx of people from the country commenced, and party after party of savage-looking Fingoes and Tambookies, British subjects from the Native Reserve, entering the town and … proceeded to their encampment beyond the town”.
On Saturday August 18, “all the roads leading to the town were filled with parties of horsemen; each field-cornet after mustering his men rode into the market place, where they fired a volley and then moved to their respective quarters”. Then it emerged that the Basothu king intended making his first visit to the colony.
“Some days before, a letter from Moshesh was brought by one of his sons to the civil commissioner, stating that having heard too late of the Prince’s approach to come and meet him with his wagons and tents, he was hastening down on horseback, and begged that a lodging might be afforded him.
“Everyone, therefore, was on the look- out, while many doubted that the old chief would come at all; when, towards evening, his son Isekelo galloped in and announced his approach, several of the inhabitants were quickly mounted and off to meet him, and a general rush was made to the drift where he was to cross, by crowds anxious to see and welcome the arrival of this celebrated chief – the most powerful and intelligent in South Africa – on his first visit to the colony.
“Presently, the expected cavalcade appeared on the rise beyond the river, advancing rapidly with white flags waving, and halting when it reached the bank.
“Their white flags bore these inscriptions in their own crude handwriting, “Molimo o boluke Mofumagali ” (God save the Queen), “U thlile hauthle morna, mora Mofumagali” (you are welcome, chief, son of the Queen), “Bonang bana ba Victoria” (see the children of Victoria), and “Basuto ba tsepile Mofumagali” (the Basutus place their trust in the Queen).
“Then burst forth a loud salute of small arms from the Aliwal side of the river, which was quickly followed by an answering volley from the opposite bank, and Moshesh, followed at a gallop by his men, dashed through the stream, and up the steep bank into the village, till he halted at a large empty store, amid the cheers of the whites, the cries of the natives, and constant firing on all sides.
“Here the whole party, consisting of Moshoeshoe himself, who looked remarkably hale and strong, several inferior but powerful chiefs, and about one hundred men, dismounted, the old man entering the house, where he was soon hidden by the crowds, English officials and clergy among them, who pressed in to see and shake hands with him.
“Some one remarking to him that all this must be very fatiguing to him after his long journey, he replied cheerily, ‘Oh, no, let them come. I like to see them, and will tire them all out yet!’”
On Sunday, Prince Alfred’s party breakfasted at the homestead of Commandant Meyburgh, “a wealthy, jolly, hospitable, old farmer”, half way between Aliwal and Burghersdorp.
About 10 o’clock, the burghers, under their different field-cornets, along with 600 Fingoes (Mfengu) under superintendent of the Native Reserve, Mr Austin, began to move out of town, and took up their position in bodies, a mile or two apart along the road to Burghersdorp, and anxiously awaited the arrival of the Prince, Sir George Grey, and their suite. As the party passed, they fired a volley, then fell in behind. Eventually, the cavalcade numbered about 1 500 men.
“Sir George Grey, being told that Moshesh was waiting just outside the town to meet him, sent a gentleman in advance with orders to have one of his horses saddled up, and to bring the old chief with him. He found Moshesh on foot with his people, waiting near the village, and returned with him to meet the Prince.
“The cavalcade poured over the ‘Nek’ in a dense mass with the Prince, Sir George, and others a little in advance. When Moshesh arrived a loud volley was fired in the air, and for a moment everything was obscured in a cloud of dust and smoke. When it cleared off, the old chief was seen uncovered before the Queen’s son, who took off his hat, bowed gracefully, and stretched out his hand.
“Upon this Moshesh, giving his hat to his son, quickly pushed forward and seized the offered hand as Sir George introduced him amid loud cheers and firing. Moshesh now took his place beside the Prince and all moved forward, but Moshesh’s horse becoming restive, the Prince, with great kindness and consideration, called for another but the old man begged to be allowed rather to proceed in advance; so a halt was called for a few moments while he rode on to the Prince’s house.
“A little further on, the Prince came to where the footmen from the Native Reserve were drawn up on each side of the road, those dressed in European clothes being on one side, while the more savage-looking ones in the native war-dress kept the other side. The former, as the Prince and his party passed, all bowed to the ground, shouting, ‘Khosi! Khosi! Khosi!’ while the line of savages gave a simultaneous shudder and shrank behind their shields, against which they rattled their bundles of assegais.”