286 COMMERCIAL PROSPECTS 



Africa to the regions south of the Zambezi would not be given until the 

 Imperial Government had satisfied itself that absolutely satisfactorv arrange- 

 ments had been made in South Africa for the protection of these imniigrants 

 and for their repatriation at the end of their term of service. The move- 

 ments of British-protected subjects would only take place between British 

 colonies and Protectorates, and the existing regulations would remain 

 strictly in force as regards those parts of Africa not under the British flag, 

 unless, indeed, later on arrangements of a similar nature for the protection 

 and repatriation of these workers were made in the possessions of other 

 European Powers, and His ^Majesty's (iovernment were satisfied tliat in 

 allowing British-protected subjects to proceed to French, (jrerman, Italian, 

 Portuguese, or Belgian territory satisfactory security would be obtained for 

 their good treatment and punctual repatriation.* 



And now with regard to the commercial prospects of the L'ganda 

 Protectorate. 



Amongst the extensive collections of rocks and minerals which were 

 made by my expedition, or on its behalf by officials of the Uganda 

 Protectorate, only one amongst all the specimens of quartz shows any signs 

 of gold. On the other hand, specimens of rocks from Unyoro (as will be 

 seen in Chapter X.) would seem to indicate a formation in that district 

 analogous to the gold-reef rocks of the Transvaal. The country abounds in 

 haematite iron, and in ordinary iron ore; there are graphite or plumbago 

 mines, and there is perhaps a little copper. Some of the rock specimens 

 collected by ^Ir. F. W. Isaac in the Bariugo District indicate the possibility 

 of precious stones existing in these formations. Salt of very good quality 

 is obtained from the salt lakes, which have become the property of the 



* Colleagaes who have been kind enough to furnish me with their opinion of the 

 reasons for and against the East and Central African natives proceeding to British 

 South Africa for employment seem to think that the only criticisms which can be made 

 of the treatment of Negro labourers in Ehodesia at the present time are the following : 

 All these negroes strongly object to the compound system — namely, that by which they 

 are massed in prison-like barracks instead of being allowed to live each man in his own 

 little hut — and the excessively hard work which they have to perform at times. They 

 none of them complain of ill-treatment, or of being treated other than quite justly 

 regarding their pay, rations, and clothing. Their idea seems to be that they would not 

 object to this service if they worked continuously but less hardly. The system at 

 present seems to be that considerable periods of inaction alternate with " shifts " of 

 excessively hard work. The Central African Negroes would prefer, if it could be 

 arranged, to work continuously during their term of service, but not under such severe 

 stress as is occasionally applied to them. They strongly object to the prisondike life 

 of the compounds, and would prefer to be allowed to build small huts of their own. 

 If these huts Avere not too close together, and if vaccination were rigorously insisted on, 

 I do not think that the objections held in regard to a separate hut .system could be 

 maintained. 



