The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-24
IN AN AFRICAN DIAMOND MINE.
\ Visitors Observations In n Pre-
ciOus Stone Precinct.
FINN, tho Inrd6u News

(From the London News.)
While at Trummel 1 took advantage OF
a couple OF days camping to go out three
miles from camp to have a look at a dia-
mond mine l found a administered
Dutcliman in charge. who knew less Eng
lish than l knew Dutch, and as my Dutch
consists of about twelve words we did not
do much in the conversational line; but
made him understand by pantomimic
telegraphy that l wanted to have a look
round, to size up things. He>took me to
dump" where the ore at grass was
stored, and converted himself into a hu-
man stone-cracking machine for my bene-
fit. until / had seen all that l wanted to
see in regard to the ''ore at grass" He
was very much like mine managers the
world over-very ready to play tricks on
anyone he considered green az the bust
ness. 1t was not his fault that he did not
know that l had been Z reporter on gold,
silver. copper lead. tin, and coal mines
for about twenty years.
Thinking doubtless, that l was Ike unto
the ordinary city fellow. who comes at rare
intervals to look at a mine, he made me
present Of piece OF rock with some wo-th-
less garnets in it, also a sample OF country
rock pregnant with muEdic; the sarnets
and the mundic giittered in the sunshine
1 rose to the bait. as l was expected to Go,
and intimated that 1 would like lot OF it.
This delighted the Dutchman, and he
beamed all over his expansive face. all he
time CUrsing me fer the second son OF an
idiot, as is the way with mine managers.
But he stopped srinniug before the aftsr-
noon wore out. for l set him climbing and
clamberirg for little pieces OF mundic and
tiny patches Of gaTnets in all the toughest
places I could find in that mine. AID went
into ecst2sies over each Individual piece,
until I had quite a load OF the rubbish.
Then I intimated gently that l woud Re
back that way when the war was over. and
would surely send my Cape cart for them
if he would be coed enough 10 mind them
for me- I fancy an iukling of the truth
Gawned in that Dutchman's soul al last,
fer he made no further reference 10 ether
garnets CT mundic. l satisfied myself with
a sample of the matrix in which diamonds
are found, and also with specimen Of the
country rock for geological reference, but
the garnets are on the heap still.
The mine. which is named the ''Monas-
terry is very crudsly worked; everything
connected with it is primitive. huge
quarry. about Geo feet in circumference.
and about forty feet deep. had been
opened up. There was nothing in the
shape Of lode or reef but a large number
of disconnected "stringers. or leaders
Of rocky matter. in which diamonds
are often found. At the bottom Of the
quarry the water lay fully eight feet
deep owing to the fact that the mine had
lain unworked during the war. a yerti-
cal shaft Ead been sunk a little distance
from the quarry to a depth of 150 feet,
but there was Z hundred feet Of water
in it. so that I am unable 10 say any
thing concerning the Monastery diamond
mine at its lower levels. One or two tun-
nels had been drawn from the quarry into
the adjoining country on small leaders. and
from what l could gather from M guide,
diamonds had been discovered
Whilst l went below. l left my Kaffir
boy en- top to pick up what he could in
the shape of rumor or gossip from the
natives, and he informed me that the rig
gers had been the cause Of the opening
Of the mine. they having found diamonds
near the surface in some Of the leaders,
witch consisted of rock known in Aus
traIia mining circles as illegitimate gram
lite The white folk, fearing that the poor
heather might become debluched if they
possessed too much wealth. had gathered
those diamonds in-when they could-and
later had started mining for the precious
gems, with what success the heather did
not know. | tried the Dutchman on the
same point but | might as well have
interviewed an oyster in regard TO the
science of gastronomy. He lodged around
my question like a fox terrier round a
fence until l gave him up In despair Bat
for all that | rather fancy that they have
found diamonds round that way. only they
deaf want the British to know anything
about it,