THE GOLD FIELDS. 281 



called Darnbarari, near which much gold was found. Farther 

 west lay the now unknown kingdom of Abutua, which was for- 

 merly famous for the metal; and then, round toward the east, 

 are the gold washings of the Mashona, or Bazizulu, and, farther 

 east, that of Manica, where gold is found much more abundantly 

 than in any other part, and which has been supposed by some 

 to be the Ophir of King Solomon. Gold from this quarter 

 was seen as large as grains of wheat, that found in the rivers 

 which run into the coal field being in very minute scales. If 

 one leg of the compass be placed at Tete, and the other ex- 

 tended three and a half degrees, bringing it round from the 

 northeast of Tete by west, and then to the southeast, we nearly 

 touch or include all the known gold-producing country. As 

 the gold on this circumference is found in coarser grains than in 

 the streams running toward the centre, or Tete, Livingstone 

 imagined that the real gold field lies round about the coal field ; 

 and, if he was right in the conjecture, then we have coal en- 

 circled by a gold field, and abundance of -wood, water, and pro- 

 visions — a combination not often met with in the world. 



Dr. Livingstone had noticed some specimens of coal before 

 reaching Tete, but he there found that there were nine different 

 seams known to the Portuguese, all within the circle of gold 

 which we have described. The coal had, of course, received 

 very little attention, and the gold was almost as much ne- 

 glected. The natives are not so fond of labor or of gold as to 

 go through the tedious process by which the precious dust is 

 obtained, and they only wash a little now and then when they 

 stand in need of calico. They had learned the value of the 

 treasure, though, and were very careful of it; they take it for 

 sale in goose quills, and demand twenty-four yards of calico 

 for a single penful. 



In general appearance the country where these treasures 

 abound is highly picturesque ; the hills are clothed with stately 

 forests, and the lovely valleys threaded by numerous streams 

 are very fertile, and, according to the standards of the country, 

 are well cultivated. The only farming implement here, how- 

 ever, as in other parts of Africa, is the hoe ; the work is done 

 chiefly by the women, too, as elsewhere. After the grain is once 

 in the ground, a single weeding is all that is required. This 



