▁whom ▁obtained ▁hospital ity ▁during ▁their ▁difficult ▁tre k ▁north . ▁Early ▁Vo ort rek ker ▁accounts ▁describe ▁how ▁the ▁lands ▁surrounding ▁the ▁mountain ▁retre at ▁of ▁the ▁Bas oth o ▁had ▁been ▁bur nt ▁and ▁destroyed , ▁in ▁effect ▁leaving ▁a ▁vac u um ▁that ▁subsequent ▁Vo ort re kk ers ▁began ▁to ▁occup y . ▁ ▁However , ▁this ▁interpretation ▁of ▁history ▁for ▁the ▁entire ▁southern ▁region ▁of ▁Africa ▁is ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁dispute . ▁One ▁attempt ▁at ▁ref ut ation ▁came ▁by ▁Norman ▁E ther ington ▁in ▁The ▁Great ▁Tre ks : ▁ ▁The ▁Trans formation ▁of ▁Southern ▁Africa , ▁ 1 8 1 5 - 1 8 5 4 ▁( Long man , ▁ 2 0 0 1 ). ▁ ▁E ther ington ▁arg ues ▁that ▁no ▁such ▁thing ▁as ▁the ▁M f ec ane ▁occurred , ▁the ▁Z ulu ▁were ▁no ▁more ▁mar aud ing ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁group ▁in ▁the ▁region , ▁and ▁the ▁land ▁the ▁Vo ort re kk ers ▁saw ▁as ▁empty ▁was ▁not ▁settled ▁by ▁either ▁Z ulu ▁or ▁Bas oth o ▁because ▁those ▁people ▁did ▁not ▁value ▁open ▁low land ▁pla ins ▁as ▁past ure . ▁ ▁Bas ut ol and ▁ ▁Free ▁State – Bas oth o ▁Wars ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 8 , ▁Mos ho es ho e ▁I ▁ ▁cons olid ated ▁various ▁Bas oth o ▁group ings ▁and ▁became ▁their ▁king . ▁During ▁Mos ho es ho e ' s ▁reign ▁( 1 8 2 3 – 1