202 SOUTH AFRICA. 



at once clear away all transport difficulties affect- 

 ing the north-east parts of the country, which have 

 probably the richest gold-bearing possibilities, 

 with the advantage of agricultural facilities at 

 hand in a fairly healthy climate. 



Reverting to golden prospects, it is quite on the 

 cards that the lately annexed Matabeleland may 

 become the chief mining centre of the country. 

 Practically this part of the country has never been 

 prospected for gold, owing to the strict prohibi- 

 tions of Umziligazi and his son Lo Benguela, who 

 visited with relentless vengeance any attempts to 

 obtain a practical knowledge of gold prospects 

 within his immediate territories. Even the super- 

 ficial examinations of Matabeleland which date 

 from the very recent conquest of the country 

 disclose the undeniable fact that gold-bearing 

 quartz-reefs abound in all directions, and the only 

 question bearing on the future importance of the 

 country at present partially unsolved is simply 

 that of the percentage of the precious ore in its 

 matrix of quartz, as although Matabeleland proper, 

 in the absence of the high altitude of the Mashona- 

 land plateau, can hardly be expected to possess 

 the great advantages of a bracing climate, it is 



