St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-10-04
5a1isrrllanu.
ADVANCES IN SOUTH AND SOUTH
CENTRAL AFRICA.

q Mata beleland is likely to prove the
Richest in mineral and agricultural
wealth, as we'll as the most popu-
Ious of South African territories
lately annexed to Great Britain. 1t
Mwas known fifty years ago that gold
mines were there, some of them show
1.-THE work of ancient tribes, but
#Lobengula, the Matabele chief, for
zbade. on penalty OF death, the use of
3pick or spade to unearth the pre-
#cious metal. Now that the natives
#are disarmed, placed under English
magistrates, no hindrance existing
i to the development OF the district,
we are not surprised to learn that
Europeans are, in large numbers,
i making their way thither. Ten
thousand gold claims have been peg
ged off and one large syndicate has
sixty farms, or 100000 acres, duly
i pegged and registered"
i Immigrants will prefer this region
i to Mashonaland, on account of its
] healthy climate, allowing them to
j live there in tents the wear round
with safety. Some predict it will
j turn out to be a good cotton grow
ling country, the pods containing
slarge, well-formed seeds, with a
hick growth of down, that readily
7twists itself into strong fiber. Rub
Der is procured by boring into the
trunks of certain trees. Indigo
grows wild. Nature is bountitul to
that part of Africa, for tea, sugar
and coffee can be cultivated, as well
Rs vegetables and fruits.
I Judge from the testimony of those
whose opinion is reliable, that the
chartered company has now obtain
/ I'd uncontrolled possession of a dis
trict as large as Germany, surpass-
ing many respects Natal, the
%'Garden Colony OF South Africa"
will easily support fifty times its
present population. Sir Cecil
Rhodes, the foremost man in South
Africa" means that the railroad
from Mafeking to Vryburg shall go
Through Buluway, the late Matabele
capital, a place destined to become
Of great Importance. Like Mashon-
Bland, the whole district, it is main
Gained, will pay its own expenses,
bot costing the mother country
farthing.
Nyassal is looming up as
never before; Europeans, especially
Scotchmen, finding their way to its
high and healthy plateaus. No finer
plantations are anywhere to be
found, and the splendid returns they
yield to energetic planters will in
duce further immigration.
Blantyre, hourishing settlement
on the borders OF Lake Nyassa, forty
+ miles from Jumbo, the seat of gov
eminent, is called model mission
station, in which industrial arts are
combined with evangelical instruc-
ton. The Abangoni Zulus, descend
ants of natives in Zululand, now Oc-
cupying the Nyassa region, take
kindly to white mems teaching, do
all the government printing and
binding, etc Postal service there is
rapid and safe, and the telegraph
will soon take the place of the hello
graph. Literary societies, planters
associations, shooting clubs. are
some of the fruits of British occupa-
ton. There is said to be an "un-
broken line of activity in sight of the
Indian Ocean to Lake Tanganyika,
where the steam of the Good News
blows in the face of Equatorial
Africans" Letters bearing Tan
ganvika postmarks are now sent to
London Query? Did DR.. Living
ston dream that this would happen
within forty years of the time he
was exploring that country?
South Central Africa is fortunate
in having for its consul and high
commissioner H. H. Johnston, Esq,
a man of great heroism, who has
done more than all preceding magls-
trates in suppressing the slave trade.
Arabs see that he is IN earnest and
are reminded by the kalf-dozen gun
boats at his control on Lake Nyassa
that they cannot prosecute their
nefariOus traffic with safety. A rail-
way to the sea is now under con-
temptation, as navigation up the
Zambesi and Shire rivers is often inn
peded That being accomplished,
ivory from elephants and hippopot-
ami, guns, and other products of the
interior will go that way to Euro
pean markets.
There are some indications that as
the new African states are being con-
solidated, they will take a step in
the direction of federation of British
dependencies. 1t will not be surpris-
ing if before a dozen years have pass
ed, Matabeleland, MashOnaland and
Nvassaland will send representatives
to the parliament of United South
Africa.
The latest annexation to. British
territory in South Africa is Fonda
land, on the southeast coast, a
beautiful region, contiguous to
Natal, with a native population of
10000 and one seaport at the
mouth of St. Johns river, admitting
ships drawing twelve feet of water.
The Cape Colony will assume the
administration of its political af-