288 THE DEVELOPMENT OF BHODESIA. 



town, and its avenue, which has been planted throughout its entire 

 length, promises to become a rival to the great avenue at Cape Town. 

 Salisbury, which is the seat of government, has likew^ise some good 

 buildings and a w^ell laid out park. On the railway between Bula- 

 w^ayo and Salisbury are the rising townships of Gwelo and Hartley. 

 The former is the center of the best gold-producing country. The 

 latter, which is 111 miles from Gwelo and 77 miles from Salisbury, 

 has many gold mines in its vicinity. Other townships in southern 

 Rhodesia are Victoria, Umtali, Enkledoorn, Melsetter, Rusapi, 

 Selukwe, Gwanda, and Tuli. Bulawayo and Salisbury have been 

 constituted municipalities. The smaller towns are controlled by 

 local sanitary boards. 



Granite has hitherto been utilized only in building bridges and lay- 

 ing foundations, owing to the heavy working expenses entailed. It 

 is found, how^ever, in large quantities throughout Rhodesia and 

 merely awaits the advent of hands and head. 



The economic development of Rhodesia has necessitated the build- 

 ing of branch lines to several mining districts. From Bulawayo a 

 line has been laid down to the Gwanda district, which is rich in gold 

 and coal fields. The w^ork, Avhich was begun in 1899, Avas stopped on 

 the outbreak of the w^ar. By March, 1904, 91 miles had been com- 

 pleted, and since that time there has been an addition of 13 miles, 

 which makes this important branch line 104 miles in length. The 

 interests of SelukAve, which is fast becoming the center of a large 

 gold-mining district, have also been advanced by connecting it with 

 Gwelo. This line, which is 24 miles long, was completed in 1903. It 

 IS also intended to construct a line from Salisbury to the Mazoe Val- 

 ley, another mining district. The survey has been completed, and the 

 line will be about 26 miles long. By August, 1902, a 2-foot gauge 

 line was laid clowai from Salisbury as far as the Ayrshire gold mine. 

 This line is the property of the Ayrshire and Lo Mogundi Railway 

 Company ; 84 miles have already been constructed, and it is contem- 

 plated to carry it on for 30 miles more to the Alaska mine. Another 

 branch is under consideration from Umtali northward to Penhalonga. 



As an indication of local developments in the winning of gold, the 

 followring statistics are derived from the Report of the Secretary for 

 Mines, Southern Rhodesia, for the year ending INIarch 31, 1904. The 

 tons crushed amounted to 510,747, producing by milling 198,477 

 ounces, giving an average of 7 'G pennyweights jier ton. In addition 

 to the gold obtained by milling, 29,272 ounces were recovered ))y 

 cyanide treatment, 5,511 ounces from concentrates, and 1,431 ounces 

 from various pannings. The grand total for the year amounted to 

 234,093 ounces. The production according to districts w^as as fol- 

 lows: Sixty-two thousand four hundred and forty-seven ounces in 

 the Bulawayo district; 136^292 ounces in the Gwelo "district; 1,604 



