Page:The Past, Present and Future Trade of the Cape Colonies with Central Africa.pdf/12

 the interior from Shoshong, leads into the Matabele and Mashona countries. The third, the so-called western road, leads into the Lake N’Gami Bamangwato country. From this, the more we can see the great importance of the town of Shoshong; and we must cherish really the fact that this country is inhabited by a tribe, not only very peaceful and very good-natured (I know them well, having practised months and months amongst them as a medical man), and they are ruled by a man who, of all South African chiefs, is the best ruler I ever made acquaintance with. He is Khama, the son of Seklomo. The extent of his kingdom is about equal to the four other southern kingdoms in size.

Allow me now to say a few words about the traders, only a few general remarks. Those trading in these parts of the interior were mostly Englishmen, but a few also born in South Africa. I have no time to describe their manners and ways of trading, this subject alone would be sufficient for one lecture of itself. The way in which they convey their goods into the interior is with bullock waggons; and where, owing to a poisonous insect (the Tsetse, which destroys the cattle), the use of waggons is impossible, they utilise the Zambesi, and bring their goods into the interior with canoes and carriers. We will now make an attempt to draw a parallel between our past and our present trade. I said we have always to keep in mind these five divisions, in which I divide the interior with regard to our trade with those parts. We trade with the tribes only of the first and second division between the Tshobe and the Zambesi; but, with regard to the third division, we trade at present with the Matabele alone, and not at all with the Mashonas, which you will be surprised to hear is the richest and the most fertile country in the whole of South Africa. Going farther into the interior, we come to the Marutse. We have been trading with the Marutse, but are trading no more ; and, with regard to the fifth division, we are trading still in a limited way with the tributary tribes. Therefore the number of native tribes with whom we trade at the present time has decreased. We will seeabout the articles which are brought into those parts. In former times we brought into the first division guns, shooting material, soft goods, a little ironmongery, stoneware, a little wearing apparel, but very little indeed. And we bring now no guns, no shooting material, and only soft goods, but ploughs. That is a great difference between former times and now. (Hear, hear.) Approaching the second division, we traded in guns, shooting material, wire, and beads. Now no guns and shooting material, but soft goods, beads, and wire. With regard to the third division, we brought in guns and shooting material, calico, beads and wire