THE MOZAMBIQUE COMPANY 95 



unknown, save to a few officials or prospectors whose 

 notes are either made for specific or confidential 

 purposes, or are otherwise worthless for reference. 

 Finally we have the waterless, mineralised district 

 west of Tete, possessing a mean elevation of some 

 1,200 feet, and entirely destitute of agricultural 

 possibilities, but having others which will, I doubt 

 not, bear fruit in the future, and reveal great 

 wealth in gold, copper, coal, and other precious 

 substances. 



Let us now turn for a moment to the south 

 bank of the Zambezi, and glance at the territories 

 of the chartered Mozambique Company. 



The charter bears date February 11, 1891, and, 

 amended or amplified by a subsequent document 

 of similar character, concedes to the governing 

 body practically sovereign rights for a long period 

 of years over an area of some 50,000 square miles 

 lying between the Zambezi and the 22nd parallel 

 of south latitude, and the Indian Ocean and the 

 frontiers of South-Eastern Rhodesia respectively. 



Unhappily the Mozambique Company can 

 scarcely be regarded as having achieved any more 

 striking measure of success than any other con- 

 cessionary body which has laboured hitherto in this 

 part of Africa. It controls an immense and mag- 

 nificent area, and possesses many descriptions of 

 mineral and agricultural wealth ; but in spite 

 of these important natural advantages, its vast, if 

 hither Lo financially unproductive territory, though 

 traversed by an admirably served railway system 

 and assisted by a port of which doubtless much 

 might be made, has never quite succeeded in 



