The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-05-18
Opening a New Gold Field.>

"For the first time in their history
the Portuguese have opened a part
of their territory that is rich in gold
under conditions that make it possible
for the miners Of all countries to par
ticipate in its development, - says the
New York Sun. "This district is a
wide strip of country north of the
Zambesi river, penetrating like a
wedge between British Central Africa
on the east and British Northern
Rhodesia on the west. It is known
as Portuguese North Zambesia. It is
the most populous region among the
East African possessions of Portugal,
and because it was known to contain
gold Portugal declined to transfer it
to Great Britain when her claim to
the large territory of Northern Rho
desia passed to the British.
eur til within the past few years
Portuguese North Zambesia has been
almost terra incognita. In the
past century it was crossed, in the
course of their explorations, by La
cerda, Monteiro, Gamitto and Liv-
ingstone, and all of them testified that
the gold prospects there were unusu-
ally promising. But no mining enter
prises were started No white settle
ments were ever established until
within the past six years, and yet the
health conditions in this section are
far more favorable than in any other
part Of Portuguese East Africa. As
tropical African climates go, it is a
very healtbful region. The country
it rises from the fat banks of the
Zambesi to q high plateau, which
gives it air that is bracing instead of
aneryating, and above. the plateau
rise mountain slopes on which white
settlements may be reared under really
pleasant conditions. The fertile soil
accounts for the density of population
in this land from 800 to 400 miles ir-
land from the sea.
1.-The reason why it has been so Ut
terly neglected is the continually dis
turbed conditions under which the
natives lived. Many years ago
branch of the Zulus called the Angoni
swept north from South Africa, car
rying everything before them, and
from their new homes on the west Of
Lake Nyasa raided the tribes for hun
dreds of miles around. The Angoni
for generations were the terror Of all
the country now embraced in Portu-
guese North Zambesia, and it was not
till the British finally suppressed this
savage influence that progress was
possible. The result is that order now
reigns, and more has been done to open
the country in the past six years than
in the century before.
''Both the Portuguese and British
investigated the mineral resources Of
the region They not only rediscov
cred the alluvial gold fields Of which
the earlier travellers had told, but
also traced the gold back TO its
sources in the mountains, and finally
located definitely four distinct regions
in the Portuguese domain where gold
bearing quartz and placers abound.
If these sources of wealth had been
found in almost any other country de-
velopment would by this time have
been well under way. But here there
were formidabel obstacles.
tLast fall witnessed the renewal OF
enterprise. Every steamer brings
fresh recruits for the mining districts
and new life has come to the Portu-
guese North Zambesia. Important
new discoveries of gold bearing quartz.
yielding from fifteen to twenty ounces
of gold to the ton, have been made
this year. Mining machinery is going
into the country. But while the min
eral resources of this region are now
open to everyone and every ration, 1T
need scarcely be said that no one
should dream Of going there without
first learning the exact conditions OF
labor and of living, the prospects for
employment and the opportunities
so- tha inrocfment of canital -