[44]. The Gold Law No. 6, passed July 30, 1885. Clause 78 reads as follows: “78. Any person purchasing, trading or receiving rough gold or uncut precious stones from colored persons, either on a proclaimed public field, or elsewhere within the limits of the South African Republic, shall be fined a sum not exceeding £1,000 and imprisonment for a period of not more than five years, with or without hard labor, beside the forfeiture of such rough precious metal or uncut precious stones to the State.”
[45]. See further particulars at end of chapter.
[46]. As an instance of what risks they will run I may mention that in November, 1886, on a post-mortem being made on a native who died under suspicious circumstances at Du Toit’s Pan a sixty carat rough diamond was found in his stomach.
[47]. I should not omit here to mention that this clique which arrogates to itself the name of the “Mercantile Community” is powerful enough to send their representatives not only to parliament, but to the town council.
[48]. Three of these cases have occurred in which conviction followed, and the offenders received sentences varying from five to ten years’ imprisonment.
[49]. I must here warn my readers against falling into the mistake of supposing that I attribute the depression of trade now existing to the absence of the enterprising and formerly ubiquitous illicit, many causes having conduced to bring about the present stagnation.
[50]. While I am given to understand that this female searcher acted with some brutality on this occasion, I have not the slightest doubt that such violence was quite unauthorized by the authorities.
[51]. Jail.
[52]. The celebrated street in Paris during the rage of Law’s Mississippi scheme.
[53]. The South African Exploration Company did this in the early part of this year, and recovered £696 and interest at the rate of 6 per cent, from the defendant.