HER MAJESTY'S MISSION TO MATABELELAND 145 



its best under the influence of rain and sunshine. But as the 

 rain had beautified the country, it had made the roads worse 

 than ever, washed them out, leaving great boulders which severely 

 tried the centre of gravity of our coach ; it had filled the great 

 mud-holes in the low-lying fields, into which our wheels sank 

 deeply, often necessitating the use of spade and the unloading of 

 all the baggage. Further, the trees on either side had not been 

 sufficiently cut away, and several times our boxes were swept 

 oif by some strong projecting branch, to the great danger of their 

 contents. And yet, against all expectation, the coach bravely 

 stood up and never upset, a wonderful performance. After cross- 

 ing the Shashi River, running with beautifully clear water, we 

 entered the disputed territory, lying between that river and the 

 Matloutsi, both tributaries of the Limpopo (crocodile). This 

 track of fertile country, probably very rich in minerals also, is 

 claimed both by Lobengula and Khama, though virtually the 

 latter is left in undisturbed possession, his cattle stations being 

 scattered all over it. Belonging as it no doubt does to Khama, 

 its mineral rights are part of the Bechuanaland Exploration 

 Company's concession, but for some political reasons and to 

 prevent complications they have not up to the present been 

 worked. This disputed territory and its concession were the 

 cause of the late disagreement among the directors of the 

 Exploration Company, followed as it was by the resignation of 

 those at the Cape. As a temporary measure a Port Elizabeth 

 firm undertook to carry on the work, but before leaving the Cape 

 we were told that Khama had cancelled the concession pro- 

 bably only the trading part of it. 



Tati, just across the Matabele border, came next, lying in a 

 hollow between two plateaux, and therefore very unhealthy. 

 Here are the headquarters of the Tati Exploration and Gold 

 Mining Company. The settlement is surrounded by rich gold- 

 fields, none richer than the " Monarch." Very little work has 

 been or is being done up to the present, but measures are now 

 being taken to open up the last-named mine and to thoroughly 

 work the others. The concession was granted many years ago 

 by Lobengula, whose soldiers have many a time threatened the 

 settlement and interfered with the diggers jealous probably of 

 the presence of the white man in their country. Two envoys 

 of the King were here awaiting our arrival, sent by Lobengula, 



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