The whole of Rhodesia, together with' the treeless plain of Barotseland on the northwest, acquired in 1899, is under the administration of the British South Africa Company, which was incorporated by royal charter in 1889. Southern Rhodesia, however, is more directly under the control of the imperial government. The ad ministration is carried on in accordance with the company's charter as amended by order in council of 1894 and 189& The senior adminis trator, with headquarters at Salisbury, has an administrative council of six members and a legislative council of 10 members, the latter including two elected representatives of each of the two great divisions of the province. The enactments of these councils are subject to the approval of the high commissioner for South Africa, who acts through a resident commis sioner. Jury trial was introduced in 1899. There are resident magistrates and judges, from whom an appeal lies to the Supreme Court of Cape Colony and thence to the Judicial Com mittee of the Privy Council. Salisbury and Buluwayo have a regular municipal govern ment, and doubtless this will be extended in time to the rising towns of Umtali, Gwelo, Tuli, Tati, Victoria, Wankie, Melsetter, Enkeldoorn, Charter, Gwanda, etc. The revenue in 1901-02 was $2,176,200 and the expenditure $3,552,800. The total native population of Southern Rhodesia is estimated at 510,000. The white population of Southern Rhodesia was about 11,300; of Northeastern Rhodesia, 164.
The chief tribe of original native inhabitants is that of the Mashonas, a peaceful and indus race. In 1836 a Zulu people, known as Matahele, invaded the country under a chief called Mosilikatse, and easily conquered the in digenous inhabitants. For more than 50 years this warlike race held undisputed sway in South ern Rhodesia, and appear to have grievously oppressed the subject peoples, but in 1890 an expeditionary force equipped by the British South Africa Company occupied Mashonaland without opposition and founded the town of Salisbury. The Matabeles were for a time left undisturbed, but in 1893 their raids into Ma shonaland gave the company an opportunity of extending its authority. Three columns, one of them assisted by subjects of Khania, chief of the Bamangwato, advanced from the northeast, the east and the southwest, respectively, upon Buluwayo, the capital of Lobengula, who had succeeded his father, Mosilikatse, as chief of the tribe. The Mataheles were easily overcome
by means of the Maxim machine-guns, and fled to the hills. Toward the end of 1893 Loben gula sent overtures for peace, together with a sum of money, but the fatal cupidity of some men of the Bechuanaland police prevented these from reaching the company's officials. Accord ingly the Matabeles who remained around the person of their chief, enraged by the supposed rejection of their overtures, surrounded a small party of Englishmen under Major Wilson, who, unable to escape, fought desperately till all were killed. Lobengula died early in 1894 and all resistance was at an end. Matabeleland has since formed a part of the company's dominion, but a serious native revolt, partly due to the ravages of rinderpest and locusts, broke out in 1896. Mashonaland also revolted about the same time, but both rebellions were peaceably settled by Rhodes' personal influence over the natives. Consult Bent, J. T., 'The Ruined Cities of Mashonaland> (London 1893) ; Darter, A., (The Pioneers of Mashonaland> (London 1914) ; Fyfe, H. H., (South Africa To Day, with an Account of Modern (London 1911) ; Hall, R. N. and Neal, W. G., 'The Ancient Ruins of Rhodesia) (London 1902) ; Heatley, J. T. P., 'Development of Rhodesia and its Railway System in Relation to Oceanic Highways) (Washington 1907) ; Hensmann, H., of Rhodesia' (London 1900) ; Hone, P. F., 'Southern Rhodesia) (Lon don 1909); Johnson, T. P., (The Mineral In dustry of Rhodesia) (London 1911) ; Knight, 'Rhodesia of To-Day) (1901); Laing, D. T., 'The Matabele Rebelhon, 1896> (London 1897) ; Leonard, 'How we made Rhodesia) (1896) ; Maclver, D. R., 'Medieval •Rhodesia) (London 1906) ; Rrolin, H., 'Les loiset l'administration de la Rhodesie) (Brussels and Paris 1913) ; Selous, F. C., 'Sunshine and Storm in Rhodesia) (London 1896) ; Thomson, H. C., 'Rhodesia and its Government) (London 1898) ; Toit, S. J. du, 'Rhodesia, Past and Present) (London 1897).