Reefs in the Mazoe River Valley. 279 



fully conducted and scientific exploration must 

 elapse before any opinion altogether condenniing 

 the mineral resources of j\Iashonaland could l)e 

 given with any prudence or justification. In the 

 Mazoe River Valley there are many reefs which, 

 while not large enough or rich enough to justify 

 the erection of extensive and elaborate machinery, 

 would certainly, in the opinion of experts, yield 

 a fair profit to a miner with a small capital, or 

 to a group of such men, working cheaply by 

 their o^Yll industry and labour. It is probable 

 that by next year the route to Mashonaland 

 l)y the Pungwe River may Ije open and easy, 

 in which case the cost of carriage of small stamp 

 batteries Avould be enormously diminished. As 

 for the Hartley Hill district, at the present 

 moment I can say nothing in its favour. Most 

 of the reefs there were visited by the experts, 

 and fair samjoles taken from many parts of them. 

 The assays of these samples show that these reefs 

 contain but little gold, and that they are of small 

 depth and extent. To this there is hardly an ex- 

 ception, and I regret to write that the assay of the 

 samples taken from the " Matchless " mine, in which 

 I am personally interested, are at present much 

 below the mark. This district, however, is only 

 a tiny corner of Mashonaland. Up to the time 

 of my return to Fort Salisbury prospects looked 

 gloomy enough, and disappointment and discourage- 

 ment were prevalent. An improvement, however, 

 occurred. From the Umswezi River district and 

 from the district of Lo-Magundi, persons upon 



