Mineral Wealth of Mashonaland. 277 



the communications with the coast and the many 

 obstacles of one kind and another which em- 

 barrass those communications, forbid the export 

 of stock, alive or dead. If Mashonaland, there- 

 fore, has to rely for its prosperity upon its 

 agricultural capacity alone, it is a country with- 

 out a future. There remains the question. Is 

 Mashonaland a good gold country ? High pro- 

 fessional opinion is certainly inclined to answer 

 this in the negative, and to discourage the outlay 

 of capital. Without douljt numerous reefs, which 

 have been found in certain parts of the county, 

 which have been to some extent developed, and 

 from which fair samples have been taken and 

 most carefully assayed, have turned out to be of 

 little or no value. On the other hand, it may be 

 urged that, as the presence of auriferous quartz 

 all over the country, so far as yet exj^lored, is 

 constant, it is not unreasonable to exjDect that in 

 certain localities yet to be found the quartz will be 

 sufficiently auriferous to ensure profitable working. 

 Hitherto comparatively little j^^'^specting has 

 been done, and much of what has been done has 

 been pei'functorily and ignorantly conducted. 

 Many parties of .soi-disant prospectors have been 

 fitted out and maintained by syndicates, whose 

 ideas of their duty appear to be that they are to 

 stick to the main routes, lie under their waggons 

 most of the day smoking or sleeping, shoot an 

 occasional buck, and from time to time offer a 

 blanket to some native who will guide them to an 

 old working, where claims can be pegged out, and 



