46 Men, Mines, and Animals in South Africa. 



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 liave the fact of its 

 restoration registered, he woukl he Hal)le to a 

 punishment of fifteen years' penal servitude. In 

 order to prevent illicit traffic, the quantities of 

 diamonds produced by the mines are reported to 

 the detective department both by the producers 

 and the exporters. All diamonds, except those 

 which pass through illicit channels, are sent to 

 England l)v registered post, the Aveekly shipments 

 averaoino- " from 40,000 to 50,000 carats. The 

 o;reatest outlet for stolen diamonds is throuo-h 

 the Transvaal to Xatal, where they are shipped by 

 respectable merchants, who turn a deaf ear to any 

 information from the diamond fields to the effect 

 that they are aiding the safe-©^ stolen proj^erty.^ 

 The most ingenious ruses are resorted to by the 

 illicit dealers for conveying the stolen diamonds 

 out of Kimberley. They are considerably assisted 

 by the fact that the boundaries of the Transvaal 

 and of the Free State approacli witliin a few 

 miles of Kimlx-rley, and once across the border^ 

 they are comparatively safe. Recently, so I was 

 informed, a notorious diamond thief was seen 

 leaving Kimberley on horseback for the Transvaal 

 Convinced of his iniquitous designs, he was seized 

 by the police on the border and tlioroughly 

 searched. Nothing was found on liim, and he 

 was perforce allowed to proceed. Xo sooner was 



1 Report, 1890, General Manager, De ]5ecrs. 



