THE ADVENTURES OF SAMBO AND POMPEY. A STORY OF AFRICAN ADVENTURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2095, 19 April 1894, Page 45

THE ADVENTURES OF SAMBO AND POMPEY. A STORY OF AFRICAN ADVENTURE.

By Mubbat Aston.

Chapter XIV. More About Diamonds— The Ape's Luck. It was a melancholy task that devolved on the victora — vis.," to bury the dead savages ; but they were assisted by the servants of the hunting party, and half an hour sufficed to dig a trenoh of capacity large enough to hold the bodies of the magnificent-looking wild taen who, feut a few hours, before, were thirsting for the blood of their now sorrowing fellow-men, who had in self-defence been the cause o£ bo great a loss of life. In all nearly 100 bodies were interred, and more than as many savages bad, badly wounded, crawled away into the bush to die lingering deaths, or perhaps to fell an easy prey to wild beaete, or noxious serpents. The wounds of Dingan and Bhopa were healing nicely in 24 hours after the fray, but Or Goodwood, anxious as he now was to return to civilisation, would not jeopardise their •chances of recovery by starting a few hours perchance too soon; so he persuaded his friends to remain for three days longer near where he was encamped, feeling that at the end of that time there would be do danger. "Shall we tell the hunters about the diamonds or not 7 " asked the dootor of the Boer that night when they were seated by their oamp fire smoking one last pipe prior to turniDg in. 11 Veil, dogdor, I dink nod. Dere are doo mony of dem do dake indo pardnership," was the reply. *' But, Jamrach, I think we are under such obligations to them that we are bound in honour to let them know of our discovery. Why, man, had they not come to the resoue I think we might have all been assegaid by those savages." "Cerdainly, dogdor, dey vos vera grade help do us. Bnd, I say, ye had beaden der savages off bevore der hnnders kom op," said the Boer. " Again, if we try and sell our rights to the discovery in London," went on the doctor—" if we try to sell our • find ' — these ! hunters might step in and say it was a swindle ; that, in fact, they were at the river, and neither heard nor saw anything of any diamonds." The Boer thought for a moment, and then replied : "Ye can only dell dem der drutb. Und yen der peobles zee our sdones dey vill belief dot vot ye zay is druth." " Bat won't the hunters think us horribly ungrateful? " inquired the dootor. " Vera ligely dey vill," said the Boer ; and then he humoroasly added : "Ye most dry und get over dat." "Yes, yes," said the dootor ; "but I hate being mean." "Zo do I," returned the Boer. " But der are doo mony of dem — doo mony of dem," he repeated with emphasis. And it was then and there agreed that all reference to the diamonds waßtobe avoided, and Sambo and Fompey received their instructions to that effect. The Zulu boys, however, were told to use their eyes during the few remaining hours of their stay in the vicinity of the river, which injunction they followed with excellent result, as they picked up several more stones, including a fine gem — a grand yellow diamond, a brilliant topaz yellow, which colour, the doctor informed them, was appreciated nearly as highly by connoisseurs as a pure first-water white Btone. Their ape never left them for long now. Since his scare when he discovered the Zulus he was loath to part from Sambo and Pompey. He took a great interest, however, in their search for diamonds, and whenever either of the lads was successful he would hasten up and eagerly examine the find. Although neither of the Zulus would let the baboon take a diamond into his own hand, they were much struck with the animal's curiosity and intelligence. Nor were they surprised when the creature started a search on bis own account, turning over huge boulder 8 wiib a mighty effort and looking minutely in the crevices of the rocks in just the same way as he had observed his masters acting. They watched him some time, but he apparently met with no success, so they went on with their own search and thought no more of their queer assistant. But suddenly a strange noise arrested their attention, and looking in the direction whence it came, they espied the ape. He was chuckling loudly— a gleeful sorb of a sound — and, as was the case when he found the silver money, be was regarding something he held in bis great paws with interest and admiration. " See," exclaimed Pompey ; " our cbacma has got eometbirg "; and forthwith drawing towards him quietly and gradually co as not to create any unnecessary alarm, Pompey was gratified and delighted by the sight of an enormous diamond which the intelligent animal held in his hand. He, moreover, on obseivirg Pompey 's approach, moved towards him and held out his hand with the stone, which that youth promptly appropriated, and then bestowed some endearing epithets in the native dialect, in which Sambo heartily concurred when he bad seen the etone, which was a veritable Kohinoor; and the brothers, closely followed by the ape, hastened back to camp to acquaint Jamrach and the doctor with their last slice of luck. The rejoicings of those worthies was a sight to witness, and found vent in three of the heartiest oheers of which their joint lungs were capable. So loud, indeed, were their shouts that they reached the cars of the hunters, some of whom hastened to the camp of the naturalists, as they termed them, to know the why and the wherefore of so much jubilation. Then Goodwood, on seeing their approach, eaid to Jamrach : "We must tell them now. Our fortunes are made. We can well afford to be

generous," and, the Boer offering no objection, the doctor exhibited bis latest find, and acquainted the hunters with the faot of the diamondiferous nature of the surrounding country, and especially the river bed. The surprise of the hunters was great, but, as has already been related, they were rich Englishmen, and the cupidity of such men is not easily aroused. Tney, moreover, of their own accord, unanimously resolved to recognise tha exclusive rights of the doctor and his party to the river bed, and turned their attention to prospecting for diamonds in likely spots in the neighbourhood. Their explorations were attended with considerable success, moreover, as they proved the existence of diamonds in what are known as " dry diggings." The stones were found by them in pipes or chimneyp, which are generally regarded by savant's as volcanic ducts, which rise from unknown depths. The exact number of stones* which fell to their lot need not be recorded, but it was sufficiently large to warrant the wildest hopea of future wealth for the whole party, and amply justified their immediate return to civilisation for the purpose of obtaining each machinery as was necessary. Before leaving, however, they carefully obliterated all signs of their workings, lest by chance any ether wanderers might come that way.

*Notb.— ln the year 1887 the production of the principal diamond mines in Africa was as follows :— Weight in carats, 3,646,899; value, £4,033,580.' (To It continued.)