NATURAL PRODUCTS 93 



Sisal fibre has been actively proceeded with, and, I 

 understand, no less than half a million plants are 

 thriving most encouragingly in this stony soil. A 

 further experiment of immense importance is 

 the plantation of several thousands of young palm- 

 oil plants {Elais guineensis). 



In addition to the foregoing, the utmost efforts 

 are being made to develop mining, with which 

 important industry I shall deal at greater length 

 hereafter. 



Practically the whole of the north bank of the 

 Zambezi from the delta to the Lupata Gorge is 

 embraced by the concession of the Zambezia Com- 

 pany, and it is not too much to say that this strip 

 of land adjoining the great stream is capable of 

 producing annually hundreds of thousands of tons 

 of sugar. From Lupata, however, onward to the 

 Loangwa * River, vegetation becomes scanty, the 

 country barren, rocky, and unproductive, the native 

 population numerically inconsiderable, and the 

 soil generally of small agricultural value. It was 

 from this part of the country, we are told, that, 

 in the early days, large quantities of gold found 

 their way down to Quelimane, and although this is 

 no longer the case, the precious metal gives excel- 

 lent indications, whilst copper has been proved in a 

 number of places, as we shall see hereafter. 



But Zambezia comprises, in addition, almost 

 every variety of climate and condition ; thus, when 

 once the low, heated, malarious banks of the great 

 waterway are left behind and you turn your face to 

 the northward, a few days' journey wiU bring you 



* Or Aroangwa. 



