THE ADVENTURES OF SAMBO AND POMPEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2098, 10 May 1894, Page 45

THE ADVENTURES OF SAMBO AND POMPEY.

A BTORY OF AFRICAN ADVENTURE. By Mubbay Aston. Chapter XVII. Kensington is aituated at the West End of London ; and there the doctor resided when at home, and there he took Sambo and Pompey, who were, of course, to remain as his guests during their stay in England. The news of the professor's safe return soon spread far and wide, and the number of callers for the first few days was very great. The natural history collection proved to be unique in many respects, and the wealthy Englishman at whose expense the visit to Africa had been paid in the interests of botany, geology, and natural history, could not find words in which to express his gratification on seeing the cases of inseebs and obher specimens, which were exhibited with a pardonable amount of pride by the doctor, who, however, was not slow in giving his Zulu friends their fair amount of credit, and perhaps more, in the great work. His pleasure, however, was changed into surprise when he found that apart from the value of these collections he had great gain in his share of the proceeds from the sale of the treasure trove, the ostrich feathers, and last, bub not least, the diamonds. There was not the slightest difficulty in turning their silver coins and the gold into cash. What the exact 6um was need not ba mentioned, but it was actually more than they expected. The ostrich feathers, too, found a particularly good market, as there was a great scarcity at the time, and business generally was prosperous — sufficiently so, indeed, to warrant the adornment by merchants of their wives and daughters with such costly trappings. and Pompey were feted on all sides, and Dr Goodwood received a command to attend Qaeen Victoria at Windsor, where her Majesty was graciously pleased to confer the honour of knighthood on the professor in recognition of his valuable services in the interests of science. Sambo and Pompey, who were also presented to the Queen, were bobh made happy by the present from that illustrious personage of a diamond broast pin, 'with her monogram, •♦ V.R,," emblazoned on it. The newspapers contained special notices of the travels of the doctor and his narrow escapes from the lion and the savages, and reference was made to the wonderful discoveries made by the party at the diamond river ; and when it was announced that a gigantic company, with a capital of one million sterling, was in contemplation to work the mines, and that the diamonds brought home by the doctor were to be seen between the hours of 11 and 3 at the Bank of England, the excitement became in* tense, and shares in the '• Goodwood Diamond Venture, Limited," as it was called, were dealt in at a high premium on the very day of the issue of the prospectus. The members of the Stock Exchange, too, as a special honour, requested the company of the doctor and his Jsulus at Capel Court, where they were admitted within the sacred precincts of the house, and where they received such an ovation as only stockbrokers and jobbers can give. The new company was & great success", and its capital was subscribed several times over in less than three hours. All concerned were now rich beyond anything they could ever have dreamed of. The doctor, his patron, Jamrach, Sambo, Pompey, and the hunting party, all had secured fortunes, which wonld be greatly increased if the mines tamed out well. Bo here, for the present at all events, we shall leave them, in the hope that at no distant date we may renew their acquaintance. [Finis.]