Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-27
MASH0NALAND MYTHS.
The Rich Gold Deposits of the Mazoe
District Aren't Found Yet.
MOST OF THEM ONLY SKIN DEEP.
As Field for immigration 1t Is Certainly
Not Up to Par. ...
ONE BIG SWAMP IN THE RAINY TINE
MOST OF THEM ONLY SKIN DEEP.
ONE BIG SWAMP IN THE RAINY TINE
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH.

Much that is imaginative has been written
about the wealth of the Mazoe river gold
district of Africa. happened to be of Lord
Randolph Churchil's party and in COM
pany of Mr.. Perkins, also of the party,
visited these much talked of fields. The
journey was rather uneyentful, game
scarce and country fat, treeless and occa-
sionallv marshy.
Wefirst examined some claims on kopjs
near Mount Hampden, beyond the Gweebi
river. The hill appeared to have been
worked on the side to some considerable ex-
tent by the old miners. Several shafts had
been cleared of their debris and opened up,
but little or no vein was to be seen in any
except one recently sunk by the present
prospector, who had struck a small
"stringer" of quartz of which Mr.. Perkins
took sample and found to be of very low
| grade.
Many Curious Circular Shafts.
These old workings are of very singular
and persistent character throughout the
district, consisting for the most part Of
| circular shafts varying in depth from 20
| to so feet and not more than 80 to Sc inches
in diameter, which have been sunk at all
sorts of distances apart, in many cases not
| more than one foot and in others as much as
so or 100. No outcrop is apparent at the
surface and nothing at the bottom of the
shafts would seem to suggest hkelier
reason for the stoppage of work than the
| gradual deterioration in the grade and size
of the veins.
| How these rich spots were originally
| found and why the shafts were so irregu-
| larly disposed are questions of which no
| one has as yet been able to suggest a satis-
| factory solution That they abandoned
| them in haste is extremely improbable, for
| throughout the whole of this district
| only two implements have been found left
! in the bottom of the shafts, in one case
rude stone chisel or pick, in the other an
| earthen pot similar in shape, size
and material to those in use by these natives
| at the present day. ANY attempt to Judge
| of their age must be the merest guesswork,
| as, for the most part, they might be any
| thing from 20 to 100 years, and in few
| cases it is true that trees of some size are to
be seen actually growing in the old shafts;
| they are of those soft-wooded and quick
| growing varieties which require but little
time for development.
Natives Perched on HilIsides.
From Mount Hampden we had descended
some 500 feet into the valley of the Mazoe,
| and wooded hills and ridges, grassy valleys
| and clear, running streams surrounded US
| on every side. Some of these hills are of
| considerable height, rising to as much as
| 1000 feet above the level of the plain, but
| only IN isolated instances was any outcrop
of sedimentary rock visible, the greater
| portion of them consisting of granite, with
| but few volcanic intrusions.
Round our outspan several native kraals
could be seen perched upon the neighboring
crests, and believe it is not vet clearly un-
derstood whether they select these steep
| and inconvenient homes from the fear-of
Matabii raids or upon the score of health.
I am rather inclined to take the last sup
position, as it is said that the Matabili have
not as yet penetrated to this part of the
country, and it would take sharp expert
ence to teach the indolent Mashona that the
LATEST is not also the best course. On
our return to the wagon we found
it surrounded by these natives, who had
brought mealies milk aud kafir corn to
barter with. We were sadly in want Of
mealies for our horses as we had found great
difficulty in obtaining them at Fort Sails
bury, but all or attempts at deal were
fruitless. In vain we offered calico or limbo
in exchange for their wares, in vain we
tried to seduce them with the glittering
blue bead or the empty cartridge case. They
were not to be moved.
Can't BE Caughs With Chat.
Tt seems thst these fastidious and PAM
pered barbarians have become nice about
the color of their adornments and will take
nothing but red or white limbo and pc
culiar sort of bead known as the red-whiteye.
So, disappointed in our trading, we
pushed on to the claims next worthy of
attention and spent an hour or two
examining the shallow shaft and mar
row vein which was submitted
to our inspection. On the following day
I'VE visited the Yellow Jacket mine. This
reef extends some 1900 feet in length and
two shafts have been sunk on it. Here no
native workings were seen and the atten-
tion of the prospectors was arrested by the
outcrop which extended for some distance
and gave very rich paintings.
A specimen of this ore which was pounded
down on the spot for US gave roughly about
go ounces to the ton. Unfortunately the
vein decreases lamentably in size and rich
ness as it descends and samples taken at the
bottom give very poor results. This was
great disappointment, as at the top the
future seemed very promising and repre-
sented a mining venture with which anyone
might have been deceived. While return
ing to camp we came upon about 20 baboons
playing at the foot of the hill, some of them
of great size, but they were too shy to allow
us to approach nearer than about 200 yards.
First Clean-Up of Mashonaland.
We saw the Jumbo and the Golden
Quarry. The former had but little to
recommend it, as far as present develop
ment permitted to Judge. The latter seemed
to be a large burst of quartz, very wide ON
the top, but, like the rest, rapidly losing
grade and thickness as lower level Is
reached. spot of a very rich ore was
found on the outcrop, and to work this q
small threestamp battery had been erected.
We found it busily pounding nearly ton
a day and getting very fair results, IN proof
of which basin was proudly produced con-
tanning about 30 ounces of amal2am and
representing, suppose, the first cleanup
as yet made in Mashonaland.
The reefs throughout presented the same
as far we have seen, appear
uniformly superficial, extending longitudin-
ally for considerable distances but "pinch-
ing" out and losing their gold as depth is at
and in Mr.. Perkins opinion it would be pos
5ible to make them pay little profit by
small individual enterprise, but neither the
extent of the reefs, the quality of the ore nor
The general formation of the country so far
1t least as Judgment can be formed on what
has been seen, could Justify the formation of
arge companies for their further develop
nent.
Not n Good Place to Go To.
As a field for emigration, Mashonaland is
! disappointment. The climate, fine in win
Ter, but in many parts quite unhealthy for
Europeans in summer, the torrential rains
Of January and February, during which all
work has to be suspended and roads become
nIpassable. the prevalent malarial feverthe
various animal pestilences, the apparent
general absence of rich deep soil such as dis
.inguishes the Transyaal seem to offer in
Tincible obstacles to large settlements Of
white people. Naturally if great and rich
discoveries m thOSa anf