MR C. C. RAWLINS IN

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4871, 6 July 1901, Page 3

MR C. C. RAWLINS IN

JiHODESI.4.

Mr C. C. Rawlins, ex-M.H.B. for Taapeka, has, after much travelling, bobbed up serenely in Bbodesia as a dredging expert for a syndicate of English capitalists. At a meeting of the Rhodesia Company (Limited) held on Thursday (writes the LoDdon correspondent of the " Daily Times") the Chairman, in the coarse of his speech, said it was only a month or two ago that a gentleman who knew the country extremely well considered that good gold' dredging ground could be found in Bhodesia, and a concession was obtained from the British South Africa Company giving them a monopoly for a limited tinrt over the whole of the territory to locate gold dredging areas. The first step which they had taken bad been to get over the best known expert (Mr Bawlins) from New Zealand, where the gold dredging industry had now beoome a commercial enterprise, and was worked on a large scale with very, good results. This gentleman came over to Bhodesia, and made several trips into likely places with a view to locating ground for them. Me Bawlios had already succeeded in locating one or two good areas. From operations in New Zealand it was found that lgr per ton would pay the cost of treatment.

Aaother speaker, the managing director of the company, said their monopoly was for

nine months, during which time they thought they would be able to get the expert from New Zealand to looate and register a certain number of areas. The option would expire in another two months, but by that time he reckoned that the half-dozen expeditions whioh were under way in Bhodesia would have obtained an area aggregating 10 square miles along the river, which would probably give them something like 40 miles in length. He believed six areas would be located. He might say that Sir Bawlins, the New Zealand authority, had given his opinion that tho ground, for instance, on tbe Mazoe Biver would be three times as rich as the best dredging ground being worked in New Zealand, so tbat they would probably be in a position to pay very handsome dividends on the capital of the company whioh it was proposed to float for one or other of the locations.