Adamantia : the truth about the South African diamond fields : or, a ...

12 STATEMENT OF THE KORAN A CHIEF." Wi .,w, "",w dlprifJlIl of t/w, laflllllJy tlltlr, fU.tAw _ our c~uf'tJMW ,.., porlitnu of our landI to otAw pMJpu."Thia transpired during the rule of Jan Taaibosch. About thistime my :£ather, Rijt Taaiboach, was born at GrigtUltoum, thencalled Klaar-water." The first Griquas arrived about 1811, long subsequent to ourdate of conqueat. And whilst our people occupied (the country)the Griquas came under Cornelius Kok, and settled at Klaar-water(Griquatown). The first miBBionary then came amongst the Koranapeople. I, the present Chief Massau Rijt Taaibosch, was born atthe old Platberg (and I am now upwards of one hundred years ofage). About this time Goliad Zysterbeck, also a cousin of JanTaaibosch, had a tribal quarrel with him, and defeated him; afterwhich Jan Taaibosch left the country, leaving my father, RijtTaaibosch as chief. After my father's death I became chief, andhave occupied up to the present time." Wi tIlltnDllI eM DfWOltntg tlnd Dtltlllpi,., 'rilIH (of Kafirs) to OMIJIJporlitnu of our land "po. ",ff".tlnc.. TAl old CAuf DB,,", D"",..(GritpMs) obtai"'" our p8NIlillion to ,.1IidI tit Doutolttlp." The:6retBloem was a Dutchman, and married a Korana wife. His childrenwere allowed to be petty chiefs of the KOr&Das known &8 theBpringbok tribe. After fighting and defeating the Barolong ChiefTau, our people occupied principally the conquered territory. My:£ather, Rijt Taaibosch, occupied Patuni" (01' Nukuni), the residenceDOW of the Paramount Ohief Gasibone, of the Batlapings. Myuncle Kbamak08e died at Patuni j the petty chief Bloem is buriedat Tauns. The graves of our people are abundant at Tauns, Griquatown,Oampbell, and,other'principal plaoes, proving the length of ouroccupation and pouession of the land. We have lived in peace withother native tribea, as also the emigrant bow.. We now occupy ourterritory of Mamusa," and rely upon the good faith of civilizedGovernments that we shall not be deprived of our just territorialrights, because adventurers like the mixed people of W aterboermay desire to appropriate our lands and exclude us, who alwayswere and &1'8 a distinct people.""PlloTEsT OJ!' THE CHIEF MAsBAU RUT TllIB080lI .Alm R.uD (ORCotllrCILLORS )." We, the undersigned Ohief Massau and Councillors of the• See diagram A (end of chapter).Digitized by Goog Ie