284 THE DEVELOPMENT OF RHODESIA. 



Avill travel those 1,200 miles from Cliinde to Molele without the 

 necessity of transshipping/' This is a long view, but it indicates the 

 direction in which development is proceeding apace. At several 

 points along the main river the transit trade is rapidly increasing. 

 Thus Tete has become a convenient depot for the transit of goods and 

 an important point on the lines of communication to nortii, south, and 

 west. Through Tete the telegraph system passes from Rhodesia to 

 British Central Africa, and from the east coast to Zumbo. A postal 

 service has been established by a weekly overland mail between Tete 

 and Salisbury and a commercial route will probably be developed 

 up the Mazoe Valley with Southern Rhodesia. Another route of in- 

 creasing importance is that from Tete to Fort Jameson and other 

 parts of Northeastern Rhodesia. Goods are shipped to Tete from 

 Chinde and thence forwarded to Fort Jameson by carriers. The rates 

 of freight from Tete to Fort Jameson are 8s. to 10s. a load of 50 to 

 60 ])ounds. A road is at present under construction between these 

 two places to facilitate communications. From Chinde to Fort 

 Jameson the rates for goods l)y way of Tete are £25 a ton; for passen- 

 gers, £28. 



The Zambezi system comprises that of the Shire River and Lake 

 Nyassa, and this is the best route to the northern and eastern districts 

 of northeastern Rhodesia. This Nyassaland route follows the Zam- 

 bezi and Shire waterways to Lake Xyassa. At Chiromo, or Katunga, 

 ()0 miles higher up the river, navigation ceases and goods are carried 

 overland, through Blantyre. to the T^^iper Shire. Stern-wheelers pro- 

 vide transport as far as Fort Johnston, at the south end of I^ake 

 Nyassa. From this point steamers ply to the several ports on the 

 lake. The ports for Northeastern Rliodesia are Domira I>ay and 

 Kota-Kota for Fort Jameson, and Karonga, on the northern shore, 

 for Fife and Abercorn and the districts bordering on Lake Tan- 

 ganyika. The rates of freight by Lake Nyassa from Chinde are, per 

 ton to Fort Jameson. £28 ; to Karonga, £20; to Fife, £;^5 ; to Al)ercorn, 

 £50, and to Mweru, £75. The ])assenger rates to the same points are 

 £35, £30, £-tl 5s., £52 10s., and £75. A railway is now being con- 

 structed from Chiromo to Blantyre and thence to Lake Nyassa. 

 ^Alien completed it will form an important link in this system of 

 communications and greatly promote the increasing success of this 

 commercial highway to the heart of Africa. 



The Zambezi, however, has hitherto played but a subordinate i)art 

 in the opening up of Rhodesia to commerce and civilization. It was 

 from the Cape that British enterprise developed communications with 

 the northern territories in the basin of the Zambezi. 



One of Mr. Rhodes's earliest efi'orts was to get the Cape parliament 

 to extend the Cape Government Railway to Kimberley. This was 

 allowed, notwithstanding considerable opposition. Afterwards the 



