Early Rhodesian Gold

Abstract

DR. RICKARD'S letter carries the weight of his high authority on early mining. Yet the estimates of the great gold output from Rhodesia were not made on the London Stock Exchange, but by responsible mining engineers who were well acquainted with the ancient workings. When discussing Telford Edward's estimate with the local authorities in 1905, they expressed the view that his figure would have to be increased owing to the discovery of many additional workings. In view of the size and number of the ancient mines, I felt that the excavation from them of 100 million tons was not exaggerated. The workings are direct evidence of an output of gold which, as Dr. Rickard says, would have made a stir in the world. The discoveries at Ur and in Egypt show that the people of those countries had tons and tons of gold. If the Rhodesian gold mining had been medieval, we should surely have evidence of it in the gold or by tradition.