348 The National Geographic Magazine 



Swimming Bath, De Beers Compound 



necessary regard to cleanliness they are 

 compelled to keep themselves clean. 



A competent manager is in charge of the 

 compound and his assistants are intrusted 

 with the charge of preserving order 

 and enforcing the compound regulations. 

 The natives look upon the manager as 

 their great white chief. He settles any 

 disputes which may arise among them, 

 and in conjunction with the mine man- 

 ager investigates any complaints in refer- 

 ence to the amount of pay which has been 

 allowed them or any punishment or ill 

 treatment by their white "baases, which, 

 needless to say, is contrary to the regula- 

 tions. 



The compound is lighted by electricity, 

 arc lights being hung within and without 

 the enclosure. When a newcomer or a 

 number of natives, for they usually come 

 in little troops, apply at the gate of the 

 compound for employment, the applicants 

 are admitted into the compound only by 

 the immediate direction of the manager 

 or his assistants. As soon as they enter, 

 their clothes are searched to prevent the 



smuggling in of liquor, playing cards, or 

 other forbidden articles ; then the officer 

 in charge of the dispensary examines 

 each separately and carefully. No dis- 

 eased man is given work, and any suffer- 

 ing from contagious diseases are sent at 

 once to a quarantine building outside the 

 compound, where a temporary provision 

 for such cases has been made. Within 24 

 hours a second examination of every one 

 admitted who shows any symptoms of the 

 disease is made by a physician in the em- 

 ploy of the company who daily visits the 

 compound. 



To enter the service of the company, 

 each applicant must sign a written con- 

 tract binding himself to live in the com- 

 pound and work continuously and faith- 

 fully for a period of at least three months 

 or longer if he so desires. At the expira- 

 tion of a contract the applicant may leave 

 if he chooses or his contract may be re- 

 newed indefinitely. Some of the natives 

 in De Beers compound have been em- 

 ployed continuously for ten years or 

 more in the service of the company, for 



