THE GOLDFIELDS. (FROM THE "GRAHAM'S TOWN JOURNAL," FEB. 4.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3354, 16 April 1868, Page 4

THE GOLDFIELDS. (FROM THE " GRAHAM'S TOWN JOURNAL," FEB. 4.)

At present the information as to] the locality and natural capabilities of the reported gold country is meagre and unsatisfactory. Herr Mauch is saving bis knowledge, in the first instance, for Dr. Petermann, of Gotha, the editor of a geographical journal, and the little he has doled out for the immediate benefit of his Potchefttroom and colonial friends is just sufficient to excite a desire to go "prospecting," and there leave it. Mr. H. Hartley, the well-known elephant-hunter, who likewise explored the gold territory, is even less explicit. We gather from the statement of the former gentleman that the Transvaal is the nearest, civilised point to the goldfields, Fotchefstroom being some 450 to 500 miles distant. Herr Mauch represents that there are immense veins of gold quartz,— one more than sixty miles in length, and another twenty miles in breadth, besides numerous j parallel veins. Mr. Hartley saw a field eighty miles in length and two or three miles in breadth, and numerous smaller and isolated veins ; and Herr Mauch states that the vast extent and beauty of this auriferous region weije such as it were to transfix him to the place en beholding its marvellous riches, struck with amazement and wonder. Neither of them is so liberal in his information as to disclose the latitude and longitude. But if the dimensions of the veins are as stated, they will be readily distinguishable to the intelligent explorer, and incapable of becoming a subject of monopoly. All that is known definitely is that the goldfields lie in the Matabele country, some two hundred miles north of the Limpopo Biver, known as Moselekatse's. To reach it from Albany, the traveller can accept two routes, the better ooe of the two by the Transvaal, and the other, which from its character would probably be avoided, is via Kuruman. From Hope Town to Kurunaan is about one kundred and sixty miles. The letter place is within the limits of the Bechuana country, which extends in a north-easterly direction from Mr. Moffatt's station, nearly four hundred mile?. The intermediate district is arid and sandy, water being only found at long intervals. The traveller must skirt the western boundary of the Transvaal Republic, pass through the dominions of several populous tribe?, and, leaving the open »andy plains at Sekhoma's, enter a more woody region. There is then a journey of about two hundred and twemty miles across an

uninhabited country, over which, we are told, onemay travel day after day without seeing the face ot man— as much isolated as though crossing the wide Atlantic. Game and lions abound, but water is only to be met with by digging in the sand beds of large river courses, whioh are very seldom known to be covered with moisture. After this wearisome and painful journey, the traveller strikes Moselekatse s present territory. He is still about 300 miles from the Zambezi, which is the only limit to the chieftain s power north-west and north. To the south-east, about three weeks' or a month's journey on foot, 1 is the nearest settlement of the Transvaal Boers at Zoutspansberg. About as far to the west is Lake Ngami. Moselekatse has no near neighbours except on the eastern frontier of hiswide-spread territory, where numerous tribes of Mashuna itill hold their mountain retreats against all his efforts to expel them. So that it is at once evident that the statement that the auriferous fields " are in Moselekatae's country" is of very general and indefinite character. It is clear that they do not correspond in position with the gold-washings south of Tete, described by Dr. Livingstone. These are near the sixteenth parallel of latitude. Moselekatse s present territory is on the twentieth parallel, and, of course, Messrs. Hartley and Mauch, in speaking of his country, refer to that which he now occupies. The inference is deducible, however, that the whole of the country from the Zambezi to the chieftain's territory is impregnated with gold, and with efficient quartz-crushing apparatus may yield immense riches. But there are impediments in addition to those of difficulty of access. It is hinted, for example, that an armed expedition will be necessary to control the opposition with which Moselekatse is pretty sure to meet the invasion of his territory ; and the means of subsistence in that region will be totally insufficient for .any considerable influx of strangers.