VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA. 
287 
A small collection of mnd and the ubiquitous tin houses—but the 
scene of a tragedy whilst I was in the neighbourhood. A prospector, 
a man of good education, good appearance and manners (a ’varsity man, 
I was told), ran ‘ amok.’ He commenced operations by throwing 
dynamite cartridges at the canteen, and then took to his repeater. So 
did the others and he got killed. Some said he shot himself. 
Leaving Tati, after a sit-down meal and a bath, two solid luxuries on 
this journey, one begins to enter this enormous country Rhodesia, 
which extends for over one thousand miles, giving free access to the 
lakes Tanganyika and Nyassa. 
I believe the area of Rhodesia is estimated at some 75,000 square 
miles, without considering treaties with Khama and other chiefs. 
The difficulties of getting into the country are rather great, but they 
will be greatly removed when the railway gets to Buluwayo. The three 
principal ways of getting in are : this way, by Mafeking ; secondly, the 
way by which I hoped to have come out, down through Tuli ; this 
route leads across the Crocodile River and into the north of the Trans¬ 
vaal by Pietersburg ; thirdly, from Mashonaland, by landing at Beira 
and so on to Salisbury ; here also a railroad is in construction. 
I may here mention that there is some wonderfully good big game 
shooting to be got up the Rung we River. I met men who had just 
returned from shooting there. 
A great want to Rhodesia is a waterway, to enable one to get into the 
country, and the Zambesi hardly answers the purpose. 
The Zambesi is navigable about 300 miles, to a place called Tete, 
which is marked on the plan, in Portuguese territory, and I believe 
there is only one transhipment of goods necessary. With the light 
draught boats which will eventually be imported, more use will be 
made of the river ; but the great-fault about that waterway is that it is 
so very unhealthy. 
Rhodesia is divided into two big divisions : the one called Matabele- 
land, which is on the west ; and the other Mashonaland, which is to 
the north-east of it. These were amalgamated in 1895 under the name 
of Rhodesia. 
You know that the administration is under a Chartered Company. 
I arrived there shortly after a considerable change had been made ; 
from being absolute rulers of large forces of troops and police, the 
Chartered Company had been so bereft of power that they were unable 
to move a man without reference to the British Government, which is 
represented there by Sir Richard Martin. Settlers in Rhodesia are well 
pleased and satisfied with Chartered rule ; they did not want a change ; 
they would like to see the Charter kept as it is. 
When one gets down to Natal one is rather struck by the strong 
feeling evinced there against the Charter. A prominent politician there 
said to me “ There is no peace in South Africa until that 4 ramping 
lion’ is down on its feet” ; the ramping lion being the flag of the 
Chartered Company. 
The men in Matabeleland are of course rather biased in favour of 
Chartered rule, for they have received considerable benefits which they 
would not have probably received from Imperial rule ; for instance 
there is the compensation, which has been estimated at about £250,000, 
paid out in connection with the war. 
Rhodesians say that no government would have paid that ; but they 
forget to point out that under Imperial rule the necessity for compen¬ 
sation would probably not have arisen. 
