Mr. Cecil Rhodes is going to succeed in Mashonaland, and
going to create trouble too. The British south Africa Com- pany have received a telegram stating that rich gold-reefs have been struck on the Umfuli River, and that the samples yield from four to five ounces to the ton,—a high-paying average. At the same time, a telegram was received in London by Renter from Cape Town, stating that on November 8th Colonel Pavia d'Andrade seized Mutaca's kraal, and tore down the Union Jack which had been placed there by the officers of the Chartered Company. Colonel d'Andrade doubtless fancied he had to deal with ordinary Englishmen, but the Chartered Company is governed on the spot by Colonists, and on November 15th, only a week later, the armed police of the Chartered Company " surprised " his force, " arrested " the leaders, disarmed the men, and sent all the chiefs, except Colonel d'Andrade, in custody to Fort Salisbury. That means, when translated into English, that the Chartered Company's soldiers defeated the Portuguese soldiers, de- prived them of their arms, and held their officers as prisoners of war. It is said that Colonel d'Andrade wishes for an arrange- ment with the Company, which is probable, energy of that kind developing a readiness for compromise ; but the Portu- guese will be highly excited over the affair. Its legality depends entirely upon the position of Mutaca's country under the modus vivend'i, according to which no change in territorial arrangements was to be made until a treaty had been signed. We thought certainly that the land was within Portuguese limits, but it may be only within the boundary which would have been fixed had the Convention been ratified. There will probably be disputing, but we venture to say the flag of the Chartered Company will stop where it is, with Portuguese acquiescence.
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