A Personal Statement. 281 



bury for a further period to watch and take what 

 part they could in the development of the country. 

 j\Ior cover, I made arrangements for a prospecting 

 expedition to the Lo-Magundi district. In these 

 pages I am aware I have laid myself open to the 

 reproach of writing much about myself ; I advance 

 as an excuse — (1) that the personal proceedings of 

 the traveller must form a considerable part of any 

 narrative of travel ; (2) speculation in gold mines is 

 attractive and risky. I imagine that very many 

 persons at home are greatly interested in this 

 country, and may possibly be influenced one way 

 or another by reading accounts given by one 

 actually in the land. I fear by the expression of 

 unwarranted hope to excite speculation which may 

 be attended with loss ; I fear by setting forth tin- 

 hivourable opinions to deter speculation which 

 may be attended with gain. I prefer rather to 

 suggest than to pronounce opinion, to recount one's 

 own personal action, and those, be they few or 

 many, who trouble to peruse this record of travel 

 will attribute as much or as little value as they 

 please to my suggestions of oj^inion, perhaps 

 slightly increasing the value attributed when action 

 and the general tendencv of opinion are found to 

 coincide. 



The community settled at Fort Salisbury is re- 

 inarkable for activity and enterprise. Since my 

 first arrival, now two months ao-o, I observed a 

 noteworthv increase in the size and a marked im- 

 provement in the character of the to^Amship. 

 Tents and waggon dwellings had rapidly given 



