Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-01-12
BUCKEFUL Of DIAMONDS
Supposed to Have Been Hidden
by a Kafir Chieftan.
SEEN BY CECIL RHODES.

uF IrlDeS OF hnO0eSla, mas put all OF
South Africa in a turmoil OF feverish
excitement In every part OF Cape
| Colony and the Transvaal. in Cape
Town and Kimberley. Pretoria, Msfe-
king. johannesburg, Swartzman's kop,
Ladysmith and Pochefstroom venture
some men are making up expeditions
to search Rhodesia and the mysteri-
Gus wilderness lying far north Of the
Limpopo river to the Zambesi for
these diamonds. Newspapers in South
Africa are full of the excitement.
Nothing else Is talked Of in that end
Of the world but Chief Magato and his
bucketful of diamonds.
Chief Magato is not a myth. Neither
is the bucketful of diamonds. Cecil
Rhodes saw the big bucket filed to
the brim with diamonds of the finest
color and perfect luster. With Cecil
Rhodes at the time were Sir John
Willoughby, Justice Lange and ID. C.
de WAL. But with all his craftiness,
| Cecil Rhodes was unable to make
bargain with the old chief. who was
willing to give away his kingdom,
larger than the state of Texas. but
who chung tenaclously to his bucket
full of diamonds.
The story of the now famous meet
ing between Cecil Rhodes and old
Chief Magato. OF Rhodesia, dates back
to 1890, when Rhodes, accompanied
by Sir John Willoughby. Justice LANCE
and d. c. WAL. NJ L. A., came to
the Transvaal from the newly-ac-
CURED territory now called Rhodesia.
Magato long was the terror OF the
venturesome Boer pioneers To set
foot in his realm was to court death.
Across Rhodesia his fearless black
warriors, living hedge with brist-
ling 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 Lobengula's
country and make treaty with that
black scOurge OF the dark continent,
did not hesitate - pay = visit to
Magato
During the conversation. Magato,
who knew all the great men Of South
Africa by reputation, and who was
dazzled by the fame OF the great white
chief from Kimberley, became con-
fidentlal, and as the story has 1t, ask.
ed Mr. Rhodes if he had ever seen
bucketful of diamonds.
Magato thereupon spoke to an indu-
ma, and within few minutes two
natives arrived on the scene carrying
a bucket filled to the brim with pre-
clous stones of the finest color
II is stated that after an intimation
from Mr.. Rhodes as 10 the diamonds
having been stolen. and the response
Of the chief that would require more
than the Transvaal police to recover
them, Mr.. Rhodes again carefully re-
garded the diamonds and estimated
their value at from $4,000, 900 to $780,
900. 600
The story noised abroad and
several private syudicates were after
wards formed to try and obtain the
diamonds or a portion of them, from
Magato but st. standing a large
outlay Of none. none of these syn
dictates could get Hagato to sell the
stones. If he had them. which he In
variably denied, or find out what had
become of them.
As a matter Of fact. the narrative
itself began TO be regarded as a myth,
but 1t was resuscitated when, Just be-
fore Magatos death, a large and val
liable diamond was sold by the chief
himself to a local trader Renewed
efforts were then made to get hold OF
the diamonds. but Magato himself de-
MED having them OF ever having had
any. There are traders in the Spelon-
ken who have stated more than once
that though they never saw these dia-
monds themselves they had often
been told about them by Magato's
indunas.
So far the theory has merely DEM
onstrated the possession of the dia-
monds. AS 10 the date OF their being
hidden. of how they we're hidden, and
possibly where-here is the connec-
ton with the hidden treasure which
has started the various expeditions
on their earnest search.
Just before his death Magato who
hated his nephew. Mpefu the heir to
the chieftainship, and who hoped to
see one of his indunas installed i'm
stead, determined, at any rate, not to
leave him any riches. So when he
felt that his death was near he sent
for four of his indunas, and, address,
ing them solemnly on their duty and
loyalty to himself. requested them to
divide the diamonds into parcels and
take them far away and bury them IN
some wilderness. This they promised
to DO. aud the diamonds having been
distributed among them. two indunas
act out for the Matsbsleland and the
other two trekked toward the Sslati.
in the direction IN which the remains
OF the murdered man. vaa Nisksrk.
were subsequently found.
The facts leaked cut in oae way 81
another after Magato's death. and
there must be many OF Magato's peo-
pie, a. well IS q few persons who
know these detAils-perhaps even
there are some traders in Zoutpans.
berg to-day who may remember tive
Of Magato's indunas going on sps
cfsl mission toward tie location Of
Majit, the myntsrious she King" a
The Kanrw tnrpaaA her