284 Men, Mines, and Animals in Sou fh Africa. 



on the future of J\Iushonalaucl. Agriculture was 

 not being neglected. One hundred and twenty- 

 three farms, mostly in the neighbourhood, of 3000 

 acres each in extent, had been applied for and 

 marked out. These are leased by the Chartered 

 Company at a rent of 5/. a year on the condition 

 that within three months the tenant shall have 

 commenced a beneficial occupation, which means 

 a certain amount of ploughing and sowing of stock 

 and of building. This completed, the farm is in- 

 spected by the Surveyor-General of the Company, 

 surveyed, and the title registered in the Company's 

 books. Of this number of farms about twenty had 

 been taken up by Boers. Last week at Fort 

 Salisbury I found sj)ecially interesting, as on four 

 days of the week the surplus stock and stores of 

 the expedition which I had brought into the 

 country were being sold off. Messrs. Hopley and 

 Papenfu, assisted by ]\Ir. Slater, the leading auc- 

 tioneers here, conducted the sale, the result of 

 which was to me very satisfactory. The total sum 

 realized amounted to 2551/. The j^rices fetched 

 by some of the articles are, perhaj^s, worthy of 

 mention. Timber, deals, and rafters sold at tlie 

 rate of 16s. Sd. a foot, showins: the scarcitv of and 

 demand for o-ood buildino- material ; ten o-allons of 

 paraffin oil fetched 201., two gallons of methylated 

 spirits 5/., sporting Martini-Henry and Winchester 

 rifles went from 10/. to 15/., two dozen pint bottles 

 of English ale and stout were sold at Ss. 6c/. a 

 bottle, and immediately afterwards retailed at 

 6.S. 6(/. a bottle, common unsifted Boer meal 



