Dawn of the Prophecy & Lung Sickness(7)

Question 1

What were the Frontier Wars?

Answer 1

The series of clashes historically known as, Frontier Wars date back to 1779 when Xhosa people, Boers, Khoikhoi, San and the British clashed intermittently for nearly a hundred years. This was largely due to colonial expansion which in turn dispossessed Xhosa and Khoikhoi people of their land and cattle among other things.

Question 2

What did the Frontier Wars exemplify? (3)

Answer 2

• The move from disruption to total onslaught of colonial imperialism upon the land of the Xhosa
• The destruction of its organic structures
• The indoctrination of the people to serve the interests of colonial governance.

Question 3

With the dawn of the _____ setting in, resistance continued but the stakes were set against the Xhosa nation.

Answer 3

Prophecy

Question 4

What was happening parallel to the colonial onslaught?

Answer 4

Parallel to colonial onslaught was the spread of lung sickness.

Question 5

What was Lung sickness?

Answer 5

Lung Sickness was a cattle disease that had already left destruction in its wake in Europe. The disease was a bacteria that was not easily detected and could lay dormant while simultaneously infecting other cattle. It crept on the lungs of the cattle as a yellowish fluid, sticking to the ribs. When it spread it putrefied the animal from within.

Question 6

When and how this disease brought?

Answer 6

In September 1853, it was brought to South Africa, through the harbor in Mossel Bay, by a Dutch ship carrying Friesland bulls.

Question 7

What were the symptoms of this disease?

Answer 7

It caused the cattle constipation, diarrhea, severe breathing problems that resulted in the cattle being paralyzed, unable to eat and frothing at the mouth.

Question 8

The disease was first detected at ____ in 1854, from where it spread to Fort Beaufort and then to King Williams Town in ___ where it made its way to the territories of Chiefs’ Mhala, Phatho, and ____ till it reached Butterworth and spread in the lands of King ___ in 1856. The last to be affected was the ____.

Answer 8

Uitenhage
1855 
Maqoma 
Sarhili 
Ngqika.

Question 9

True or False

The disease was easy for the people to contain and manage.

Answer 9

False, The disease was extremely difficult for the people to contain and manage.

Question 10

What preventative measures did they take? (4)

Answer 10

• The Xhosa tried to drive their cattle into seclusion
• Fenced off pastures,
• Buried their infected carcasses deep in the ground
• Executed those who disobeyed the quarantine regulations and even those suspected of witchcraft.

Question 11

What was happening to the maize simultaneously?

Answer 11

At the same time, the maize was also infected by a species of grub that attacked the roots and destroyed the stalks before the corn ripened.