Henry J. Neils’
Travelogue of 1959 Great World Cruise
Henry J. Neils was a businessman from Minneapolis. He wrote a daily diary of his voyage on the 1959 Great World cruise. Presumably, the 30 faded typewritten sheets had been duplicated for distribution to his employees.
The transcribed document now forms 25 pages of the Timeline, accessible from links on the January, February, March and April 1959 month pages. This was the first special feature to be added to the Timeline as it entered its 2nd year of being on-line.
Henry's quoted text throughout the site start with this indicator: H.J.N.…
Henry J Neils’ Travelogue 12 February 1959
Cape Town, Republic of South Africa
H.J.N.…
Temperature: Warm
Altitude: 4,000'
Population: 65,000
In 1886 a farmer saw some children playing with a pretty stone. It turned out to be a 2½ carat diamond. He sold
it for 500 pounds and gave the mother of the children one-half.
The rumour spread and soon there was a diamond rush similar to our gold rush to California and Alaska, with all the violence, fortunes, failures and heartaches that are connected with it.
Cecil Rhodes consolidated all the little claims and organised the Beers Consolidated Mines. Surface workings were converted to deeper explorations and mining to depths to 3,500 feet.
The “Big Hole”
H.J.N.…
The “Big Hole”, an open mine, now abandoned and partially filled with water, measures 3,601 feet deep and
1,520 feet across - it presents quite an awesome sight. The new mining plant handles tremendous quantities of earth
from depths up to 3,000 feet.
Continuous conveyors carry the crushed rock through the various processes until the diamonds are caught by a greased slide, over which the crushed material is washed in a stream of water.
Out of 25 million pounds of material, one pound of diamonds is recovered. Most of these are diamond dust, granules and larger sizes for industrial use, but every once in a while some good size specimens appear which will be cut for jewellery.
No Uncut Diamond Trading!
H.J.N.…
Because of the illicit trade in uncut diamonds the laws now forbid any person from having in his possession an uncut
diamond. I tried to buy one at a jewellery store before I was aware of this law.
The proprietor looked at me in amazement, and said “I.D.B.” which is “illicit diamond buying”. Needless to say, that ended my search for an uncut diamond.
The mine workers are mostly natives from various regions of South Africa, with the exception of supervisory employees, who are white.
They live in very comfortable compounds surrounded by high barbed wire fences and watched by guards and trained German Shepherd police dogs. We saw a demonstration of performance by these dogs at the mine kennel. Very interesting.
Six-Month Contracts
H.J.N.…
The men enlist for a period of six months and are not allowed to leave the compound during this period. After six
months they may enlist for another six months, but at the end of that time they have to go back to their families for
at least one month.
While living in the compound they cook their own meals (very simple) on community stoves under a shelter. The smell was inviting. Each has his own kettle, a place to wash it and to store it till the next meal.
When several hundred men are cooking on a dozen or more stoves, all chatting, singing, whistling and shuffling about, it presents an unusual scene. They have facilities for washing their scanty clothing, sleep in bunk houses, not more than sixteen to a house.
All-Found Accommodation
H.J.N.…
They buy anything they need at the Company store, at cost. They are provided with recreational facilities such as
movies, soccer, tennis court, swimming pool and cricket. Also shower baths with running hot and cold water.
They are provided with schools where they can learn to read and write their own language, learn tailoring, cobbling, crafts of various kinds. They also have a chapel.
The men work an 8½ hour shift. One mine employs approximately 1,500; the other, 1,600. So popular is the work in these mines that 70% of the native applications have to be turned down. Besides regular pay of approximately $20.00 per month.
Any employee who finds a diamond can turn it in and receive a bonus of 10% of its value. If it is not turned in, the employee runs the risk of being caught and discharged.
Before leaving at the end of their contracted time, the employees are X-rayed to make certain that they have no diamonds tucked away or swallowed. This tour of the mine was very interesting and educational, and the Company employee who conducted it was tops.