Africa, its Past and Future. 117 



companies, having a capital of $18,500,000, one-third of which is 

 paid up. Bai'berstown, the chief mining-town, has two ex- 

 changes, a theatre, two music-halls, canteens innumerable, several 

 churches and hotels, four banks, and a hospital. A railroad was 

 opened in December, 1887, from the Indian Ocean towards these 

 mines, 52 miles, and is being rapidly constructed 100 miles 

 farther to Barberstown. 



There is reason to believe that gold deposits equal to those of, 

 Mexico or California will yet be found in several parts of Africa. 

 Copper is known to exist in the Orange Free State, in parts of 

 Central and South Africa, and in the district of Katongo, south- 

 west of Lake Tanganyika, which Dr. Livingstone was about to 

 explore in his last journey. Rich copper ores are also found in 

 the Cape of Good Hope, Abyssinia, and equatorial Africa. 

 Large and excellent deposits of iron ore have been fou.nd in the 

 Transvaal and in Algiers, and a railroad 20 miles long has been 

 built to carry it from the Algerian mines to the sea. Very many 

 tribes in equatorial and Central Africa work both iron and cop- 

 per ores into different shapes and uses, showing that the ore-beds 

 must be widely distributed. 



One of the few large diamond-fields of the world is found in 

 Griqua and Cape Colony, at the plateau of Kimberly, 3,000 feet 

 above the sea. The dry diggings have been very productive ; 

 this tract, when first discovered, being almost literally sown with 

 diamonds. 



Coal has been found in Zulu-Land, on Lake Nyassa, and in 

 Abyssinia. The latter coal-field is believed to be secondary. 

 Iron, lead, zinc, and other minerals, have been found in the 

 Orange Free State. Salt-beds, salt-fields, salt-lakes, and salt- 

 mines are found in different parts of Africa. 



Railroads. 



The peculiar formation of Africa, its long inland navigation, 

 interrupted by the falls near the mouths of its large rivers, from 

 connection with the ocean, render it necessary to connect the 

 ocean with the navigable parts of the rivers by railroads. 



The Belgians will soon construct a railroad on the southerly 

 side of the Kongo, to the inland navigable waters of the Kongo 

 at Leopoldville, following the preliminary surveys lately com- 

 pleted; the French may also construct a road from the coast to 



