BEAUTIFUL AFRICA

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 148, 26 June 1933, Page 10

BEAUTIFUL AFRICA

ROMANTIC HISTORY

PAST AND THE PRESENT

ON THE DIAMOND FIELDS

(Specially Written for "The Post.")

CAPE TOWN, May 3,

• Pretoria may be said to "ooze" history from the moment of entrance. Just in front of the railway station there is a massive' bronze monument showing "Oom Paul" in a characteristic attitude, a grim and powerful figure, and round him are grouped four figures of voor-trekkcrs, huge Boers, bearded, and fully armed, with riding accoutrements, veldt-schoens, and powder horns, expressive of determination to conquer or die. Tho city is dominated by the Union Buildings, the Administrative ones, although Parliament meets in Cape Town. These cost, a million and a half of money, and are truly magnificent. They stand on a low hill, beautifully planted in terraces, with many -wide flights of steps leading to fountains and miniature lakes adorned with feathery papyrus and water lilies in blue, rose, and cream. There are also other splendid flowers, shrubs, and trees. "OOM PAUL'S" CHAIR IN PLACE OF HONOUR.I The ,whole building is in soft-coloured reddish-brown stone, hard in texture and said to be enduring. The War Memorial, and the special Delville Wood one are both there, the latter particularly handsome, as the South Africans were considered the heroes of that fight and suffered terrible loss. All lead to a kind of Boinan amphitheatro with step-seats, and a central rostrum for a. speaker, and then wide cloisters and steps lead up to the building itself. Inside, the Dutch style is adhered to, and the furniture is all of South African laurel wood, the seats of the chairs being trellised deer or cow skins. Kruger's chair has the place of honour in the room, also General Joubert's, and the coat-of-arms centring all is that of the Republic. The Government Library is immensely interesting, with many first editions of Dickens, Thackeray, and a number of poets. These are very valuable, and many were presented, by General Smuts, whose homo is between Pretoria and Johannesburg. PIMBEELEY'S GLORY HAS DEPARTED. The journey to Kimberley, which includes all night in the train, disclosed the Karroo, that immense span of country without water ; showing only, sparse bushes with terrible' thorns that' turn both ways, in which may be a wise provision of Nature against snakes, as they would not form a resting place for any creatures! The vast prospect of land without water or hills is very striking, and yet has a wonderful beauty of colour,- and the. sunrise and sunset skies are magnificent. The anthills are everywhere, and at times of considerable height and brick-red-in colour.' The approach to Kiinberley. shows many," dumps" where the earth has been thrown- up out of. the diamond mines, and the place also boasts the "greatest hole in the world," where tho Kimberley mine was worked in former days, and which is some thousands of feet down underground, and with over ten miles of tunnelling in the bowels of the earth. In tho present it may be said of Kimberley "Ichabod,'' or "The glory has departed," for it has so many relics of the days when de Beer's mines were in a flourishing condition, and the world was buying diamonds freely. Do Beer's (named' after an old Boer farmer who' first discovered the" big mine—and who died in comparative poverty, having sold his interest in it) developed the town of Kimberley in lavish manner. Model houses _ were built for workers, and for diamond cutters from. Holland, while beautiful houses and gardens were arranged for officials. A mile length of pergolas for vines, plantations of fruit trees, and farming depots were all lavishly provided; fine swimming baths, and a beautifully planned hotel, > with : an amusement park at Alexanderfontem, all remain in somewhat ruined condition. . . . ' , ■ • ■" ■ . Lately the tramway men have taken over the bowls grounds, and on holidays the tennis and rackets courts, and skittle alleys have some patronage, but most of the glory has departed, and old residents are full of regrets. IN A DIAMOND BUYER'S OFFICE. Diamonds are still produced, and a visit to dc Beer's offices showed £80,000 worth brought in during one week from the Dutoitspau mine, one being worth £2000 and another £800. The "freak" diamonds were particularly interesting, one having a monkey's head plainly showing in it, and another thatof a lion. A third had a <jlear Maltese Cross, and the twin stones are good varieties. The tinted stones aro beautiful, orange, lemon, mauve, and pink, but are not regarded as first-class stones. The £80,000 parcel was only one of at least a dozen more which were being sorted and valued, arid a largo safe"showed a great many cases of others. The drive of about 40 miles out to the Vaal Eiver diamond fields was over the veldt, with groups of diggings along the wayside, Kaffir huts, and some curious mirages, where apparently there were wide stretches of water with trees and shrubs mirrored—but when. . another mile was passed the same part could be seen to be nothing but a sandy waste! An interesting morning in a buyer's office was passed, and many diggers came in, one lucky man getting £750 for one stone, while others had as much as £30.t0i £50 for their week's work. The diggers are of all classes and nations, and work out on the veldt with native "boys," who dig and carry the earth to primitive vats, where water, brought six or eight mile 3or moro from the Vaal Eiver, is used for washing, and the final sorting is done in rough sieves. GARDENS A JOY TO BEHOLD. It is all wonderful country with an interest and beauty all its own and so completely different to anything else that no comparison is possible. Kimberley is beautifully planted with trees, and the public and private gardens with lovely tropical plants are a joy to behold. The public gardens include a wonderful collection of extraordinary veldt plants —true vegetable curiosities that would have to be seen to be believed! Sydney-on-Vaal is a well-arranged little "dorp" with a wide market square, church hall (used by several denominations), hospital, library, etc., all rather. unusual so far away from the. better-populated centres. All are looking forward hopefully to the time when diamonds will come into their own again, and the world's women will be ( able to revel again in beautiful stones. ■ ' . ; M.H.C. When Frederick Leonard Howland, of. 43 Ava Street, Petone, was driving a car along tho Hutt Eoad towards Petone at 3.15 a.m. yesterday a tiro blew put, and the ear hit and smashed a power pole. The front of the car was damaged, but, Mr. Howland was unhurt. ' ' . . ,