A Winter Tour in South Africa | Page 7

as the
different processes are concerned, of treating the material in which the
diamonds are found. It is much richer, however, in "blue ground," and
consequently far more valuable results are obtained from it. For
instance, the average value of each truck load of stuff from the
Bultfontein is said to be about 8s., while from the De Beer's it is 28s. or
30s. The latter mine is now worked underground, in the same way as
copper and coal mines are worked in England. Excellent arrangements
are made for the protection and well-being of the native workmen,

especially by the introduction of "compounds" during the last year or
two. These are vast enclosures, with high walls, where the natives
compulsorily reside, after their daily work is done during the whole
time they remain at work in the mine. This system has been attended
with the most satisfactory results. I went over the De Beer's
"compound," where I saw an immense number of natives, all appearing
lively, cheerful, and happy. A large number were playing at cards (they
are great gamblers), and others amusing themselves in various ways.
No intoxicating liquor is permitted to be sold within the "compounds."
The weekly receipts for ginger beer amount to a sum, which seems
fabulous, averaging from £60 to £100 a week. The natives can purchase
from the "compound" store every possible thing they want, from a
tinpot to a blanket, from a suit of old clothes to a pannikin of mealies.
Before the establishment of the "compounds," when the natives had the
free run of the town, and could obtain alcoholic liquor--on Saturday
nights especially, after they had done their work and received their
weekly wages--Kimberley was a perfect pandemonium.
An interesting visit was one to the central offices of the United
Companies, where I saw the diamonds, as they are prepared ready for
sale, lying on a counter in small assorted lots, on white paper. This is a
most remarkable sight. The lots, varying from half-a-dozen to twenty,
or thirty, or more diamonds, are spread out arranged according to their
estimated value. I took up one, which I was told would probably fetch
£1,000, and of which there were several similar ones in the different
parcels on the counter. The manager showed me a paper of a sale to the
buyers, a day or two before, of a parcel, which was calculated to realise
£14,189, and which actually was sold afterwards for £14,150; showing
the surprising accuracy of the previous estimate on the part of the
experts.
Another day I went to the Central Kimberley Diamond Mine. After
going over the mine, my party and myself all "assisted" at the counter
in one of the large sheds in picking out diamonds from the heap of
small stones just brought up and laid out from the day's washings. It is
rather a fascinating occupation, turning over the heap with a little
triangular piece of tin held in one hand, and continually "scraped"

along the board. I found several diamonds. We were told, after we had
been working diligently for an hour or two--there were six of us--that
the value of the diamonds we had found, and placed in the manager's
box, was probably £1,200. This seemed to us a good afternoon's work.
The entire district of Kimberley seems to teem with diamonds, and yet
there is no cessation in the demand for them, and they are still rising in
price. Accidents are frequent at these mines, but excellent provision for
meeting these misfortunes is made in the admirably conducted
Kimberley Hospital (where there are no less than 360 beds for patients),
which I visited during my stay. It is under the management of a very
remarkable woman, Sister Henrietta, and reflects the greatest credit on
everyone connected with its conduct, and support. The number of
native cases treated at the Hospital during the year 1887 was 2,975.
Kimberley has risen with immense speed, commencing from what is
generally known as a "rush," to a large and prosperous centre of wealth,
trade, and commerce. There, where only a few years since, was to be
found a collection of tents and small huts, I found a city with handsome
buildings, churches, stores, institutions, and law courts, and, above all,
a well ordered society. Some of the buildings which I might specially
mention, are the Town Hall, the Post Office, the High Court, and the
Public Library, which has been in existence about seven years, and is
superintended with such excellent results and most gratifying success
by the Judge President. One noticeable fact connected with this Library
is that the number of works of fiction annually taken out by the
subscribers, exceeds, per head of the population, that of any Public
Library in the United Kingdom.
The Kimberley