RHODESIA. 201 



mentioned were obtained from Malakas wandering 

 over the plains to the south-west of Matabeleland, 

 and were probably the product of river beds to 

 the north-east, where gold has been obtained by 

 both washing and mining from pre-historic times, 

 until the Zulu raids under Umziligazi gradually 

 put an end to native industry in this direction. 



The immense auriferous area within Rhodesian 

 limits forbids the idea that the mines have been 

 worked to exhaustion by native processes, and 

 there must be an almost inexhaustible number of 

 virgin reefs awaiting development in any case ; and 

 that such is the confident opinion of those who 

 have already invested in properties of various sorts 

 here is evidenced by an apparently lavish scale 

 of expenditure on public building, etc., by the 

 emigrants, although tangible gold results have 

 not yet been handled, owing to the enormous 

 difficulties of transport by ox-waggon via the 

 Transvaal, the great extent of unhealthy country 

 to be slowly plodded through before reaching the 

 healthier heights of Matabeleland and Mashona- 

 land, and the occurrence of the late war with Lo 

 Benguela and his bloodthirsty ruffians. The 

 Beira Railway, when complete to Salisbury, will 



