Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-15
AMONG DIAMOND DiGGEES.
Scenes I'm the Compound En which
They Dwell.


They Dwell.
From the San Francisco Chronicle
There can be nc Doubt that the -:-ost In
terestins: sight IN the great De Geers mine
at Kimberley is the compound. The COM
pound of a South African NINE be 1t a gold
or diamond m.He is the place where the
miners live, the miners being the Kaff1rs
of the native tribes.
The DE Beers compound is a vast trian-
gular space, inclosed on each side by a
long. muG-huiit she'd OF cre story. furnished
with an overhar <lr-s roof to keep off the
sun, and cut UP into irlumcr4Lle little
rooms In the ceuter s a huge bathing
/ tank, while overhead. from lie 10 side
and rom end TO eud Of The compound. Is
q network Of wires. the meshes b1tng not
more than an inch IN width
Ccd-r The DOrches OF the sheds in the
sheds themselves. and about the bathing
t:'lils III the eyItc-' sRa1n hundreds upon
hundreds Of kafiiTs. 1t is here fer The first
time that tbs traveller up country secs the
lIaihr Gor under the gnrer'c head "Kaffii''
the South African groups ala the sllrround-
ing tr-beS-B2sutas, ShsHg2hns. Zulus Ma
taheleS, etc.G in something APPROX mating
his original state. Most Of ti.em are naked
TO the waist, reckoning from whichever ex-
tremity you like
Ore fellow thu: l was shown was drum
ming upon something hat locked and sound
ed very like Nylnr7oHe. little sticks OF
v ooc strung upon wires. and I declare the
moCotoToES sequence e little clear LIQUID
notes sounded very well indeed Another
one, very old. his heard braided into 2 score
Of stiff little niPtails was making anklets
rolling one bit Of WIRE around another; for
siNpence he gave me- as many as 7 wanted
to carry away. = third was smoking. Oh
servl the manner of g. He had cut off
about four inches of hulloci-'s horn bored
a hole near the t:p, IN which he ir sert ID the
rnouthptece, anG lad filed uD the horn
with some fearful unknown wneI which
Sputtered ana reek5I when he drew uDon
! II. : the smoke filed his throat and lungs
he would cough aud cough until the tears
came ITO MS eyes. 'T"loss II makes them
cough" explained the ti-1p1seeDer. Eno was
my guide they don't like T."
But one of the most surprising things
about these kafiiIs. especially those that
were of Zulu origin. was their cleanliness.
Fancy so Cinnamon hudaled gether or
even the same number of the lover class
Of almost any nationality. They were rag
ged; they We're tSo,ne Of thsm) nearly
raked They ley prore upon the ground in
the sun and they cooked ard ate some very
queer-looking dishes, hut they were Won
derfully clearly. y throng Of them les
pecially such as had just come up from
the minel continually gathered about the
great bathing tank ir the &c. ter of the
compound ard upon going into the sheds,
in each of which some half a dozen slept,
there was no pcrceptible door. ret even
that of stale bedding. But th.rk of the un-
derground dens in our own Chinatown:
think OF the cord-tion Of the tenements in
which people who claim 10 belong 10 the
civilized nations dwell. l believe 1 said as
much to the tinekeeper
"Ah, but You know" he answered, the
Zulus are a very superior race; they are
much more Intelligent than the - Dutch
Beers You find in Iohannesburr. Clearly?
| should say so. Here's something You can
tell your paper. You'll never see Zulu
finish meal without washing his teeth
very carefully afterWard."
But the compound Katfrs of the De Beers
are human, sometimes, like Arthur Jones'
cabinet ministers, very human, and they
Will steal diamonds if they. can get the
chance. The mine regulations, however
governing the lahcrers would seem to have
reduced the opportunities for theft to q
minimum.
The kafflr who is taken or as a miner
at the De Beers signs a contract whereby
he allows himself TO he kept practically a
prisoner for the period covered by his con-
tract-a month. During this time he ia
not allowed 10 pass beyond the limits of tie
mine or to hold communication with any
outsider He IS restricted rigidly to the
precincts of the mine Itself ard to the
compound, an underground passa ge con-
nectirg the two places having been con-
structed for this especial purpose. He is
allowed to use only compound money!"
| brass tickets, each good for a shillng's
| worth of provisions, clothes, tobacco. gin
| ger pop, etc, at the compound store. The
overhead wire netting prevents him tossing
| diamonds over The walls of the compound
| TO Toe picked up by confederate or 10y the
rcfar.ous y. ID b." cillcit diamond buyeO
| During the time he is in the service of the
| con pany he is fed ard clothed at TIE COM
| pany's expense. # ,ie fails sick he IS cared
for al the hospital tand an Slrlirab BIZ. hos
| pital it Isl, and if he IS hurt in the mine
| his wounds are dressed ana his welfare
| looked after by the conpany's surgeon.
At the end of his month he has the option
| Of renewing his contract or thro 49, IT I'd.
! If he throws 1t up he goes ifs hat Is
| called the detention house Here he Is
stripped to the skin, and remains in that
condition. under constant srrvef lance for
a week. Every act Of his daily life IS per-
! formed under the eye Of the guards. Steal
| ing diamonds by swall Rowing them is the
most Gi:licul- and hazardous method q
! kalliT miner can employ.