THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY AT KIMBERLEY 



461 



the slang of South Africa as I. D. B.ism. Under this statute, the 

 ordinary presumption of law in favor of the accused disappears, 

 and an accused person has to prove his innocence in the clearest 

 manner, instead of the accuser having to prove his guilt. Sen- 

 tences are constantly passed on persons convicted of this offense 

 ranging from five to fifteen years. It must be admitted that this 

 tremendous law is in thorough conformity with South African 

 sentiment, which elevates I. D. B.ism almost to the level, if not 

 above the level, of actual homicide. If a man walking in the 

 streets or in the precincts of Kimberley were to find a diamond 

 and were not immediately to take it to the registrar, restore it 

 to him, and to have the fact of its restoration registered, he 

 would be liable to a punishment of fifteen years' penal servitude. 

 In order to prevent illicit traffic, the quantities of diamonds pro- 

 duced by the mines are reported to the detective department both 



Sorting Gravel for Diamonds at Kimberley. 



by the producers and the exporters. All diamonds, except those 

 which pass through illicit channels, are sent to England by regis- 

 tered post, the weekly shipments averaging from 40,000 to 50,000 

 carats. The greatest outlet for stolen diamonds is through the 

 Transvaal to Natal, where they are shipped by respectable mer- 

 chants, who turn a deaf ear to any information from the diamond 

 fields to the effect that they are aiding the sale of stolen prop- 

 erty.* The most ingenious ruses are resorted to by the illicit 



* Report, 1890, General Manager, De Beers. 



