CHAPTER II. 
FEW words on the early days of Kimberley 
may be interesting to the general reader. 
The first diamond, according to report, was dis¬ 
covered in a dozen or two different ways. The 
usually accepted ones are—(i) That a gentle¬ 
man travelling for health about i86g, was 
resting under a thorn tree, and sat on a long 
thorn. Turning round to extract it, he saw a 
magnificent diamond. (2) That a firm of 
jewellers in England, having heard of a rumour 
of diamonds being present somewhere north of 
Capetown, sent out an agent to look; that the 
agent came to the present site of Kimberley; 
that there he found a cattle kraal built of lumps 
of blue ground,” and therein saw diamonds. 
(3) That a trader happening to pass, saw some 
native children playing with pretty stones; that 
he being of a circumspect nature, bought the 
lot for some tobacco, and subsequently obtained 
vast sums for them in England. 
Any way diamonds were found, and the usual 
rush came. Water was scarce; so was food. 
A bucket of water cost 5s., and cauliflowers sold 
