Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-12-28
SINBAD'S DIAMOND VALLEY.
St Louis-Giope Democrat

Has the valley Of diamonds Of which
Sinbad the Sailor tells us in the story
OF one of his wonderful voyages in the
Arabian Nights counterpart in
reality in South Africa?
If any crederce may be placed in the
legends OF the various tribes of South
African negroes, it has. Perhaps it
was the legend Of these negroes that
was carried north in some mysterious
manner, and thus furnished the Arab
story teller with foundation for his
work, or perhaps the Arabian story in
some manner reached the negroes and
thus became q part Of their simple folk
lore But speculations IN this matter
are worth nothing. The legend is the
common property of all the tribes in
South Africa, and, though it varies
somewhat in detail, in the main it is
the same story that is told in all the
villages.
White men haso heard the story
from the lips Of the negroes, and many
have believed it and como forth to their
death in the great Kalahari Desert
in search of the valley where diamonds
are as thick as pebbles along the
course Of Missouri brook.
Ages and ages ago, the Kafiirs say,
when they were the sole Inhabitants of
South Africa, n great tribe from the
north came down upon them and drove
them from their homes. To the west
and to the north they fled, scattering
in isolated parties and fleeing into
lands they had never before penetrated,
to escape the assegais and clubs OF the
armies, before which they were power
less. Those who went to the north
were followed by their enemies and
driven beyond the Orange River. Here
they lived in peace for u while, but
their security was only temporary. The
giant blacks came upon them again !;
and again they were forced to flee,
until they found themselves Old the
borders of great desert Their
numbers had been go decimated by
wal and privation that but few score
remained OF the host that had first
fled under the storm Of assegais. Here
the majority OF the tribe resolved to
stop, feeling that further retreat was
useless, but some did not agree to
this, and determined to push on into
the desert, hoping that they could
cross it in safety
The desert was greater in extent
than the kaffirs had thought, and
their sutferinRs were terrible. When
they reached the nearest water nearly
half of their number had died. But
the survivors pushed on. until at last
the desert was crossed and they stood
at the foot of a range OF high noun
tains Though water was to be found
here, the vegetation was scanty, and,
for this reason, they determined to
push ON into the mountains to try and
find u spot suitable for home. At
last their sufierings were to be re-
warded. They came upon a valley,
high up in the mountains, rich in
vegetation and Astounding In game,
and here they determined to stop.
Protected by the great desert on
the south and by the steep and almost
inaccessible mountains on the north,
the wanderers at last felt perfect Sc
curity from their enemies. The valley
furnished them with everything they
desired, and they we're happy.
One day one.of the kafiirs discovered
cleft in the cliffs in the extreme
northern end of the valley while in
pursuit of game. So far as the Kaffirs
had been able to discover up to this
time, there was but one entrance to
the valley by which they had entered,
and the hunter determined tc explore
the cleft to ascertain where 1t led.
From few yards lin widths at the
entrance the cleft gradually narrowed
and the rock above came closer and
closer together, until the hunter at last
found himself in n. small tunnel too
low for him to walk erect, and so
narrow that there was scarcely room
for his body 10 pass freely. The hunters
curiosity was thoroughly aroused, how
ever. and he continued his exploration,
finally compelled to crawl on all fours
by the decreasing height Of the tunnel.
At last his perseverance was rewarded
by glimmer of light ahead, and he
was soon creeping out OF the darkness
Of the tunnel into the light of day.
At first the eyes Of the Kafiir could
distinguish nothing in the glaring sun-
light, but rs his eyes became more
accustomed to tho light. he found he
had penetrated to o small, cup shaped
valley, several acres in extent, and
surrounded on all sides by almost per-
pendicular cliffs several Thousand feet
il height. There was not a trace of
vegetation in the valley, all was cold
and repelling, but as the kaflir gazed
about he suddenly gave Cry of de-
light Tho ground on all sides was COW
cred with pretty pebbles. and stooEing
to examine them he found that most
of them were of the peculiar kind
(damondsj used by the witch doctors
in theii nominations, and which were
reputed to have great healing POWERS.
The stones were mostly of large size,
and their number was as great as the
leaves in a forest. The Kaffir ex-
plored the valley, but could find no
other entrapce than that which had
afforded him means of access but
everywhere were the witch stones, at
times he was literally walking over
beds of them. The surface was strewn
with them.
The day was waning, and warned by
the length of the shadows, the hunter
picked up sumo of the stones and
started back through the tunnel. On
his way back he crawled into nest
of adders, and was so badly bitten that
he got back to his people only in time
to tell his story before he died. The
presence Of snakes in the tunnel de-
TERED the others from attempting the
trip. and short time afterward q
disease seized the inhabitants of the
tiny village and. after its ravages had
ceased, but two of the natives re-
manned alive. The survivors, two war
riors, concluded that the valley was
acoursed, and determined to waste no
time in leaving it. Taking the dia-
monds with them, they started on the
long trip to the south, 10 regain those
OF their people they had left behind.
or fall into the hands of their enemies,
they cared but little which. so that
they escaped from the accursed place
where their families had all met
DEATH One of them died in the
desert, hut the other, after terrible
sutferinps, finally reached some of his