Ingwadi Yani. By J. W. Matthews, M.D. (Sampson Low and
Co.)—Dr. Matthews began his twenty years' personal experience in 1865, having arrived from England in an emigrant-ship, the medical superintendence of which he had accepted, and located himself as district surgeon in Victoria County, Natal. In 1871, he left for the diamond-fields of Griqua Land West, where he found scope for professional practice, and eventually represented Kimberley in the Cape House of Assembly. He was the hero of two perilous adventures,—one in Arabia, on his way home from India, whither he had gone in charge of a coolie ship; the other in Natal, when he crossed a flooded river by a rope to visit a dying patient. His first adventure, in Arabia, was to walk 160 miles to Aden to obtain fuel for his vessel, which had run short, and must have been a wonderful instance of determined strength of body and will. Dr. Matthews's acquaintance with Kimberley, and both dark and light sides of mining life, is extensive and interesting. Parti- cularly interesting is his description of illicit diamond-buying and the innumerable dodges resorted to by "I. D. B.'s," as the buyers were called. This illicit trade was and is indulged in to a frightful extent, so much so that, as far as we can judge, the syndicate which bought the 450-carat stone might come under the above definition. Besides giving us a complete history of the Kimberley Mine and the great speculation craze, the writer discusses diamondiferous strata and the probable origin of the precious stone. He did not fail to visit some of the fine scenery of the Colony, the Falls of the Un,geni, Uonderfontein, the Kaap Valley, all subjects which he touches with the skill of an artist. He also visited the ICaap fields, of golden fame, and gives us many facts relating to Majuba Hill which possess a painful interest to an Englishman. We heartily recommend this genuine account of so long and varied an experience.
Previous page
