Tati

Tati, a district of British South Africa forming, geographically, the S.W. corner of Matabeleland, but attached administratively to the Bechuanaland Protectorate. Area about 2 500 sq. m. The railway from Cape Town to Bulawayo crosses the territory with a station at Francistown, the principal settlement. Francistown stands 3254 ft. above the sea and is 126 In. S.W. of Bulawayo by rail. The town of Tati, on the river of that name, is 18 m. S.E. of Shashi river railway station.

Tati owes its importance to the presence of gold, first discovered by the German traveller, Karl Mauch, in 1864. Mining began in 1868, but it was not until 1895 that work on a large scale was undertaken, and it has been frequently interrupted since that date. The chief mine is the Monarch, situated by the railway. A concession to work the gold-mines, and for other purposes, was obtained in 1887 by Mr S. H. Edwards from Lobengula, the Matabele chief, and the mining rights are vested in a company, thereafter formed, called the Tati Conces sions Company. (See BECHUANALAND and RHODESIA.)