its own. The land
of the Basutos, no longer under British protectorate, suffered greatly from
hostile incursions and cattle raids from the Boers. During the summer the
Kaffirs fell victims to a fatal delusion. Their prophet Amaxosa foretold
the resurrection of all their dead heroes and warriors, on condition that
they themselves should put an end to their lives. In all, some 50,000
Kaffirs committed suicide. Emigrants from Cape Colony occupied the Kaffir
lands, which had become depopulated.

[Sidenote: Affair of "The Arrow"]

[Sidenote: British reprisals on China]

[Sidenote: Canton bombarded]

[Sidenote: Insufficient British forces]

In October, the Chinese Emperor, beset as he was by the victorious Taiping
rebels, was made to feel the heavy hand of Great Britain. A Portuguese
lorcha, "The Arrow," flying the British flag though without British
register, was overhauled by the Chinese authorities while at anchor near
Dutch Folly. One of her crew had been recognized as one of a band of
pirates who had committed some recent outrages. The Taotai of Canton had
the offender arrested. Sir John Bowring at Hong Kong at once protested. The
Chinese Imperial Commissioner Yeh replied that "The Arrow" was not a
foreign vessel, and therefore declined to enter into any discussion about
her. As a first step toward obtaining reparation the British seized a
Chinese imperial junk and held her in reprisal. As this failed to bring the
Chinese to terms, Sir Michael Seymour with a British squadron bombarded and
seized the barrier forts of Canton. The fleet proceeded up the river, and,
after capturing the Chinese fort of Macao Passage, came to anchor before
Canton. An ultimatum was addressed to Yeh, stating that unless he at once
complied with all English demands they would "proceed with the destruction
of all the defences and public buildings of the city and of the government
vessels in the harbor." No reply was vouchsafed. The Canton forts were
seized by the British and their men-of-war trained guns on the city. All
able-bodied Chinamen were called upon by the Viceroy of Canton to rally for
the defence of their city. The British bombarded Canton and sunk a large
fleet of Chinese war junks up the river. A fort at French Folly was
reduced, and the Bogue forts on both sides of the river were captured. The
Chinese retaliated by burning the whole foreign settlement, and by chopping
off the heads of all the Englishmen who came into their power.