Know all men to whom it may concern, that a full meeting of the Council of the Manica nation was held at Mufambo Basukos on the 14th day of September, and it was there agreed that I, Umtasa, Mufamba Basukos, Paramount Chief or King of the said nation, should enter into this solemn Agreement, and for the considerations hereinafter mentioned, should, for myself and my heirs and successors, and on behalf of my said nation, give and grant unto Archibald Ross Colquhoun, in his capacity as the representative of the British South Africa Company, hereinafter called the Company, the sole absolute and entire perpetual right and power to do the following acts over the whole or any portion of the territory of the said nation, or any future extension thereof, including all subject and dependent territories.
(a.) To search, prospect, exploit, dig for, and keep all metals and minerals.
(b.) To construct, improve, equip, work, manage, and control public work and conveniences of all kinds, including railways and tramways, docks, harbours, roads, bridges, piers, wharves, canals, reservoirs, waterworks, embankments, viaducts, irrigations, reclamation, improvement, sewage, drainage, sanitary water, gas, electric, or any other mode of light, telephonic, telegraphic power supply, and all other works and conveniences of general or public utility.
(c.) To carry on business of miners, quarry owners, metallurgist mechanical engineers, iron founders, builders and contractors, ship-owners, ship-builders, brick-makers, warehousemen, merchants, importers, exporters, and to buy, sell, and deal in goods or property of all kinds.
(d.) To carry on the business of banking in all branches.
(e.) To buy, sell, refine, manipulate, mint and deal in bullion, specie, coin, and precious metals.
(f.) To manufacture and import arms and ammunition of all kinds.
(g.) To do all such things as are incidental or conducive to the exercise, attainment, or protection of all or any of the rights, powers, and concessions hereby granted.
And I further agree to bind myself and my successors and nation not to enter into any Treaty or alliance with any other person, Company, or State or to grant any concessions of land without the consent of the Company in writing, it being understood that this covenant shall be considered in the light of a Treaty or alliance made between the said nation and the Government of Her Britannic Majesty Queen Victoria; and in consideration thereof, I, Archibald Ross Colquhoun, on behalf of the Company, hereby underdake and agree to protect the said King and nation from all outside interference or attacks, and to support and maintain the said Chief and his lawful successors in the constitutional maintenance and exercise over his subjects of his powers and authority. And the Company hereby undertakes to hold its servants liable for any ill-treatment or interference with any of the King’s native subjects; and the Company further hereby agrees and undertakes, in token of the amicable and friendly relations subsisting between the King and the Company, to appoint and maintain in the said territory a British Resident, with a suitable retinue and a suite of British subjects, and an escort of British police, for the due maintenance of law and order within the said territory.
The Company hereby further agrees that it will, under the King’s supervision and authority, aid and assist in the establishment and propagation of the Christian religion and the education, and civilization of the native subjects of the King by the establishment, maintenance, and endowment of such churches, schools, and trading stations as may be from time to time mutually agreed upon by the King and the Resident herein-before mentioned, and by the extension and equipment of telegraphs and of regular services of postal and transport communications.
And the Company lastly undertakes and agrees to pay to the said Chief or King and his successors in perpetuity an annual sum of 100l. or the equivalent thereof in trading goods as on over leaf at the option of the King.
