Source

To the Emperor’s Great Envoy,

Governor Leutwein.

I received your letter, and I understood well what you wrote to me and my chiefs. I and my chiefs reply as follows: The war was not begun by me this year, but it has been started by the whites; you know how many Hereros are killed by the white people, especially traders, with guns and in prisons. And whenever I brought this matter to Windhoek, the blood of my people always cost [no more than] some [pieces of] small cattle, namely fifty or fifteen. The traders increased the hardship still further lending to my people on credit. After they had done so, they robbed them and went so far as to get repaid by taking away by force two or three cattle for 1 pound [sterling] debt. It is these things that have caused war in this land.

And now in these days, when the whites saw that you, who have peace with us and love for us [were not there], they began to tell us: The governor who loves you has gone to a major war, he is dead, and because he is dead,[1] you will also die. They went so far as to kill two of Chief Tjetjo’s Hereros, until Lieutenant N. started killing my people in prison. Ten died, and it was said that they died of disease, but they died at the hands of the labor supervisors and their clubs. At last, Lieutenant N. began to treat me badly as well and to look for a cause for which he could kill me, saying: the people of Kambasembi and Uanja are making war. Then he called me to him to question me. I answered truthfully, namely “no.” But he did not believe me. At last, he put soldiers in boxes and hid them there in the fortress. And he called me so that if I came, he would shoot me. I did not go; I realized [his intention], and therefore I escaped. Then Lieutenant N. sent people with guns to shoot me. At this I became angry and said, “Now I must kill the whites [even if it means that] I die.” For that I was supposed to die I heard from a white man named X. […]

I am the paramount chief Samuel Maharero!