EMIGRATION TO SOUTH AFRICA. 225 



the great diamond camp, Kimberley, and gave an 

 impetus to trade such as had never before been 

 anticipated. 



In the then absence of the omnipotent rail, the 

 roads from the seaports were choked with waggons 

 slowly dragging up supplies of all kinds, inclusive 

 of all sorts and conditions of men, to the desolate 

 semi-desert where the glittering gems teemed. 

 Employment at remunerative rates abounded, and 

 although disease and death in those early days 

 claimed a heavy tribute, South Africa was jubilant 

 at emerging from stagnation. But the diamond 

 fields are no longer the hunting-grounds of the 

 immigrant, as the mines are now owned and worked 

 by the great De Beers Company, whose one aim 

 is to limit production to within the demands of 

 the world and thus keep up prices, and as long 

 as this powerful company retains its monopoly 

 diamonds will rule at high prices, but if by any 

 chance this monopolistic power comes to grief the 

 world could (I do not venture to predict that it 

 would) be so over-supplied with diamonds as to 

 bring down prices probably to less than fifty per 

 cent, of those which now rule. This is not a mere 

 opinion, but those who know better than I profess 



Q 



