"RHODESIA HAS A GREAT AGRICULTURAL FUTURE BEFORE IT."
The exploration and the development of Rhodesia have always been
regarded by me with sentimental interest. Every new advance in this
region has been hailed by me with infinite satisfaction, and no man
regretted more than myself the lapses of the Founder and Administrator
in December, 1895, which threatened to involve the whole of South Africa
in trouble, and to arrest the progress which had begun. It appeared for
a moment as if Rhodes and Jameson had relinquished golden substance for
a shadow. It is not in human capacity to realise from a far distance
the truth of the rumours which came from here respecting the intrinsic
value of the land, and so I came here at a great inconvenience to myself
to verify by actual observation what had been repeatedly stated. I have
been rewarded for so doing by clear convictions, which, though they may
be of no great value to others, are very satisfactory to myself, and
will for ever remain fixed in my mind, despite all contrary assertions.
There was a little speech delivered by Commandant Van Rensburg on Monday
night, which, perhaps, will be thought by London editors of no
importance, but it was most gratifying to me, inasmuch as I had become
possessed with the same ideas. He said that it was generally supposed
that without gold Rhodesia could not exist, but he differed from that
view, as, he was certain in his own mind, it would remain an important
country because of its many agricultural products, its native wood,
coal, cement, etc., etc. He had come to the conclusion that Rhodesia
was as fit for agriculture as any part of South Africa, though he had
been rather doubtful of it before he had seen the land with his own
eyes. That is precisely my view. It is natural that the large majority
of visitors who have come here to satisfy themselves about the existence
of gold in Rhodesia should pay but little attention to what may be seen
on the surface; but those who have done so now know that Rhodesia has a
great agricultural future before it.