Precautions again;=t Theft. 45 



searching room, wliere their mouths, their haii% 

 their toes, their armpits, and every portion of theii* 

 l)ocly are sul)jected to an ehal)orate examination. 

 White men would ne\er submit to such a ])rocess, 

 ])ut the native sustains the indignitv Avitli clicci'riil 

 equanimitN', considei'ing only the high wages which 

 he earns. After passing' through the senrchina; 

 room, thev pass, still in a state of nnditv, to their 

 apartments in tlie compound, A\'here tliey find 

 blankets in ^vliicli to A^'rap tliemsehes for the 

 night. During the e\'ening, the clothes which they 

 have left behind them are carefnlly and minutely 

 searched, and are restored tu thcii- owners in the 

 morning. The precautions A\'liich are taken a 

 few days before the nati^'es lea\e tlie compound, 

 their engagement being terminated, to recover 

 diamonds Avhich they may have swallowed, are 

 more easily imagined than descrd^ed. In addi- 

 tion to these arrangements, a. law of excep- 

 tional rigour punishes illicit diamond buying, ' ^ ^ 

 known in the slang of Sontli Africa as I.D.B.ism. 7 — 

 Under this statute, the ordinary presumption of 

 law in favour of tlie accused disap^Dears, and an » 

 accused person has t() pro\'e his innocence in the 

 clearest manner, instead of the accuser having to 

 prove his guilt. Sentences are constantly passed 

 on persons con^dcted of this otlence ranging from 

 five to fifteen vears. 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 



