Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-03-22
A BUcKETFUL OF DIAMONDS.
The Romantic Story Of King Masato
and His Fabulous Wealth.

ne homdhtlc Story OF Nin9 "d9aso
and His Fabulous Wealth.
A bucketful of diamonds, worth
100000 and hidden by old Chief
Magato, who long years ago ruled the
Kaffir tribes of Rhodesia, has put all
of South Africa in a turmoil of fever
ish excitement. In every part of Cape
Colony and the Transvaal, In Cape
Town and Kimberley. Pretoria, Mafek-
ing, johannesburg, Swartzman's kop,
Ladysmith and Pochefstroom venture
some men are making up expeditions
to search Rhodesia and the mysterious
wilderness lying far north of the Linn
popo river to the Zambesi for these
diamonds. Newspapers in South Afri-
ca are full of the excitement. Nothing
else is talked of in that end OF the
world but Chief Mag and his buck
etful Of diamonds. Chief Magato Is
not a myth. Neither Is the bucketful
of diamonds. Cecil Rhodes saw the
big bucket filled to the brim with dia-
monds Of the finest color and perfect
luster. With Cecil Rhodes at the time
were Sir John Willoughby, Justice
Lange and D. c. de Waal. But with all
his craftiness, Cecil Rhodes was un-
able to make a bargain with the old
chief, who was willing to give away his
kingdom, larger than the state of Tex
as, but who clung tenaciously to his
bucketful Of diamonds.
The existence Of this almost fabu-
lcus wealth of precious stones became
known in January, at Johannesburg,
in a trial before Chief Justice Sir j.
Rose -Innis, and the details of hidden
treasure including stories Of the dis
covery of skeleton, with pocketbook
filled with golden sovereigns, buried
bullion and secreted diamonds, set all
OF South Africa agog with their blood
curdling sensationalism. The story of
the now famous meeting between Cecil
Rhodes and old Chief Magato of Rhod-
esia dates back to 1890, when Rhodes.
accompanied by Sir John Willoughby
Justice Lange and D. C. de Waal, M.
l.. A., came to the Transvaal from the
newly acquired territory now called
Rhodesia. The party travelled via Ft.
Tuli, and entered the Transvaal at a
point near the possessions Of the then
great Kaffir chieftain. Magato, known,
from his power and his contempt for
the Boer regime, as "the lion Of the
north"
Magato long was the terror Of the
venturesome Boer pioneers. To set
foot in his realm was to court death.
Across Rhodesia, mis- fearless black
warriors, living hedge with bristling
spears, barred the way to the Zambesi
river. But if Magato was fearless. so
was Cecil Rhodes. The empire builder
who had not feared to go alone to the
heart of Lobengulas country and make
treaty with that black scourge Of
the dark continent did not hesitate to
pay a visit to Magato.
Almost alone Cecil Rhodes ascended
the mountains Of Rhodesia, at the top
of which Magato had built his rude but
almost impregnable fortress. Almost
alone the empire builder threaded the
maze of crooked paths that lead to the
willy old chiefs dwelling place, passing
hundreds Of semi-naked warriors arm
ed with spears. shields and war clubs
with the same contemptuous indiffer-
ence he always showed to savage SOL
liery.
Finally Cecil Rhodes and Magato, the
lion of the north" and the lion Of the
SOUTH" were face to face. A long and
earnest talk followed. Cecil Rhodes
explained to Magato why the white
men wanted to come to Rhodesia. He
'old him of the railroad to be built, of
he cities to be started, Of the farms
% be laid out. His own personal mag
netism communicated itself to the old
chief and long before the interview
come close to an understanding.
During the conversation Magato, who
knew all the great men of South Afri-
ca by reputation, and who was dazzled
by the fame of the great white chief
from Kimberley, who had become the
ruler of the powerful Matabele nation,
and who, moreover, was the chief own
er of the wealthy diamond mines of
Kimberley, where thousands Of Ma
gato's men used to work from time to
time, became confidential, and as the
story has it, asked Mr.. Rhodes If he
had ever seen a bucketful Of diamonds
Mr. Rhodes to whom the question
brought memories reviving the history
Of the amalgamation Of the Kimberley
mines (De Beers), answered that he
had on one occasion. Magato thereup-
on spoke to an induna, and within a
few minutes two natives arrived on the
scene carrying bucket filled to the
brim with precious stones of the finest
color.
The bucket was placed in front Of
Mr.. Rhodes, who having examined
some of the stones and found them to
be valuable diamonds. asked where
Magato had got them.
The reply was that he had received
them at various periods as presents
from his native subjects, who worked
in the De Beers mines.
1t is stated that after an intimation
from Mr.. Rhodes as to the diamonds
having been stolen, and the response
of the chief that it would require more
than the Transvaal police to recover