Morning journal and courier., 1888-02-28

PG@o5~Se
table, where diamond serter stands with q
peculiar sort of scraper in his hand to look
over the stuff. It is most fascinating to
stand by and see him find the diamonds.
He picks out some you would not say were
diamonds and rejects some fine pieces of
crystal that you would say were diamonds.
Miss +. had a bit of crystal given her that
she had taken for diamond. The stuff is
then locked over three times mere before it
leaves the place. After that it is given out
to those who haven't to sort at home, and di-
almonds are still found when looking it over
the fifth time after that. Some of the dia-
monds are partly black, and can under
material as coal. Some are delicate yellow
and some deep amber. These are called
''oH-colored." The pure white "gIassy" is
the most valuable, and the 'Fmackle," a fat
one, is faVorite.
We had an appointment with Dr. MacKen-
sic for II 80 to visit the hospital Mr. Bot
tomley drove for Miss F. and me in the phae-
ton, and we started early enough to make
two calls on the way. Meantime Lauri and
Emma had gone to the mines. They wanted
to go down into the mine in one of those iron
tubs which we had seen going up, and down
the wires. Going down into the mine is q
thing seldom done by ladies and it is not
did get permission, and the girls had fine
time of it. The tub was not rushed down at
such a rate of speed when they were in it, but
let down carefully. When down to the bot
tona of the open mine, depth of 400 feet,
they were asked if they would like to go
down shaft, 100 feet lower, and they were
delighted to go. They put on miners coats
and got into another and very dirty tub.
They were given candles at the bottom and
went out into one of the blind passages.
where there was no air except from the open
ing they went in at. When their candles bs-
gan to go out they thought it was time to
turn back. The air anywhere was very hot
that day, but down in that underground
working the air was so hot, as well as close,
that when they came out into the open air of
heaven they thought it delightfully."- ceol by
contrast. They enjoyed their adventure very
greatly. They had been down a depth of
five hundred feet to the lowest depth of the
mine except prospecting shaft which is
just being sunk lower. How deep down the
diamonds are to be found no one can yet tell
Now I will take you around the hospital
It is fine place with wide halls covered with
mating and high rooms that are cooler than
one would suppose any place in Kimberly
could be in hot weather. The private rooms
| for patients who can pay fifteen shillings a
day are very pleasant. The nurses are
bright, pleasant looking girls and they looked
pretty in their white caps. The sister in
| charge is noble looking woman who seems
quite equal to the important position she
| uOlOS. 4uSy are SdtuO1lcS, L D6llSVe, ana
| the sister in charge is very Catholic in her
| appearance, with her loose black flowing
| mantle, black hood with white band above
her forehead and white tie in front
| and a large cross suspended from her
neck. But such a kind, benevolent, noble
| and serene face, one could love and obey I
am sure. We went through the free wards,
| cool and airy and very pleasant. We looked
into the kitchen where jolly looking sister
! presided over the dinner. She told US about
| her cat beside the fire and the kitten, and
/ she did not seem bit saddened by the place
| she worked in. The native wards were the
saddest places. There were half dozen who
had had both legs taken off on account OF
| hurts in the mines. Some had only one foot
| missing, and those who were able were outside
with their blankets rolled round them. It
| seemed very sad to think these poor black
men must be 30 disabled and some are killed
| in order that the world may have diamonds.
In one ward there was poor man just dying
of sunstroke. He had not been there an
hour and before we left he was dead. Dr.
Mack. said they were often brought
l into the hospital too late for any.
thing to be done fer them. Another mar
| was dying when we left, and the first thins
| we had seen on coming to the buildings was
| a dead body being carried out The death
| rate of Kimberly is always high; this sum
mer the burials in the white peoples grave
yard average twenty five a week. I canno
| forget that splendid looking man we saw
| dying ef a sunstroke. Such grand blacl
| head on the white pillow and such noble
/ form, and the life being just breathed out il
| long drawn breaths. The F'camp fever'' thai
| was SO devastating at the diamond fields al
| first does not yet die out, and some people
| are obliged to go away every summer tc
escape it, for once had it is likely to return
| every year if they stay in Kimberly. AL
| around the large building for white patients
| at the hospital there is wide and delightful
| veranda looking ont upon green trees anc
/ grass and flower beds. The convalescents
| room is an immense room with cool easy
| chairs, little.stands, cases of books and pic
lures on the walls, altogether most inter
esting place The hospital is always full
| and now theEe are ninety patients more thar
there ought to be- The hospital is designed
| to accommodate about two hundred.
At noon Mr.. Alfred proposed that we g
| to see some packages of diamonds at one O.
the offices, put up ready for shipment tt
England by the next steamer. He said i
| was a fine lot and he had gained permission
| for US to have q look at them. The lot wal
| worth e100, ,0o0. It was a magnificent sight
| had no idea that uncut diamonds were evel
SO beautiful There were the half black dia
monds that nre not used as jewels there
| were the beautiful yellow stones, though they
| are not considered the most valuable; anc
| then there were smaller packages of the mos
exquisitely clear stones. Through the white
paper in which they were the diamonds held
| up to the light were perfectly transparent
| 1t was treat TO look at them and to taxi
them up and let them slip through our fin
| gers. There is SO much meaning in tine pur'
white diamond flashing with all the rainbow
| eolors. Just to think of the history of
diamond, containing whole parable.
| M. E. L.