326 Men, Mines, and Animals in South Africa. 



settlement. • It lies in the centre ut a boundless 

 grassy plain, at tins time of year (Xo\'eml)er) very 

 green and fertile. Beclnianaland is destined, I 

 imao'ine, in time to become the iz'reat ranchino- 

 ground of South Africa. Skilful engineering in 

 the placing and making of dams, A\'()uld hy storage 

 overcome the only ohstacle, ^'iz. the scarcity of 

 water. We had to remain at Mafeking two days. 

 A dri^•e of one hundred mih's still separated us 

 from yj-\'l)urg, the railway terminus. Thej)assage 

 of Mr. Khodes and his part)' had absorbed the 

 coaching resources of the Bechuanidand Explora- 

 tion Company. The mail service u]) country as 

 far as Tuli is excellently carried on l)y this company. 

 Passengers are also conveyed by them, the distance 

 from Vryburg to Tuli, upwards of five hundred 

 miles, being comj)assed 1)}' the mail coach in less 

 than eight days. The company have large 

 numbers of mules, all kept in first-rate condition, 

 and ha\'e constructed post stations at intervals of 

 tAventy miles along the I'oad, where are wells and 

 stores of foraa'e. If I were li'oinfi: airain to Foi't 

 Salisbury, I should make arrangements with this 

 comjjany for ni}' journey, instead of resorting to 

 the large, very costly and cumbrous expedition 

 which ignorance of the country let me in for. A 

 traveller, by making use of tlie present mail 

 service and by prociuing fi'om the company a 

 special service north of Fort Tuli, could journey 

 from London toFort Salisl)nry and back in a period 

 of four months. Of course il" the Beira l^ungwe 

 railway were constructed the journey could be 



