2/8 Men, Mines, and Animals in South Africa. 



possibly the regulation thirty-foot shaft sunk. I 

 have seen that a great quantity of money has been 

 frittered away by parties of this kind, and pros- 

 jDecting such as this cannot be taken into account. 

 Some few honest, intelligent, laborious prospectors 

 there are out here, most of them working for 

 themselves, but as yet these men have been able to 

 examine but a small portion of the country. 

 Mashonaland in area is probably larger than the 

 United Kingdom ; it has only been occuj^ied for 

 the space of one year, of which less than six 

 months have been available for exploration and 

 prospecting efforts. Obviously it would be 

 hazardous and jDremature to assert that, because 

 the first gold discoveries are unsatisfactory, no 

 satisfactory discoveries will be made. Many 

 persons who came out here last year and this year 

 supposed that fortunes would be made with great 

 facility, that gold would be found lying about 

 only waiting to be picked up, and such arc 

 retiring from the country discontented, and 23ro- 

 nouncing the country to be a delusion and a snare. 

 But nature is not prodigal of her gold. In most 

 cases, long sustained efforts, much patience and 

 perseverance are required to win it from her, and 

 sometimes she conceals it so carefully that only 

 the merest chance or accident leads to its dis- 

 covery. History, tradition, the narratives of many 

 travellers, strongly support the theory that 

 Mashonaland is rich in gold, and the probabilities 

 are that at some time or other these authorities 

 will be borne out. Another year, at least, of care- 



