Communications with the Outer World. 291 



fifty per cent. It now numbers 330 all told. As 

 each policeman costs the company about 200/. a 

 year, a very notable economy has been efi'ected. 

 The j)resent strength of the force is probably still 

 much in excess of Avhat will ultimately be found 

 necessary for the peace and order of the country. 

 Postal communication is very slow, irregular, and 

 badly managed. The mails are despatched from 

 Fort Tuli in two-wheeled waggons, drawn by four 

 oxen. These cover a distance of about four 

 hundred miles to Fort Salisbury, at a rate of some 

 twelve miles a day. The drivers, taken from the 

 police force, are under no supervision, and loiter 

 and dawdle along the road to their heart's content. 

 No fine or censure is inflicted when they arrive 

 behind their time. It Avas reported that the tele- 

 graph wire had been laid into Fort Victoria. This 

 work had been carried out with great energy and 

 at considerable cost. The contracts for extending 

 the telegraph to Fort Salisbury are now being- 

 carried out, and probably, in about six months' 

 time, Fort Salisbury will be in telegraphic com- 

 munication with London.^ A very large and 

 adequate supply of provisions had either been 

 accumulated here by the com^jany or was well on 

 its way up. No fears of scarcity of food or of 

 high prices during the rainy season need be 

 entertained. Already the prices of all neces- 

 saries had considerably fallen from the high 

 level of a month or six weeks ago. Stores 

 had been erected by the company at the various 

 ^ The work was completed in February, 1892. 



u 2 



