Копи царя Соломона
The Place of Death
"ThenitisclearthatyouhaveneverseenthediamonddiggingsatKimberley. YoumaydependonitthatthisisSolomon’sDiamondMine. Lookthere,"Isaid,pointingtothestrataofstiffblueclaywhichwereyettobeseenamongthegrassandbushesthatclothedthesidesofthepit, "theformationisthesame. I’llbeboundthatifwewentdownthereweshouldfind‘pipes’ofsoapybrecciatedrock. Look,too,"andIpointedtoaseriesofwornflatslabsofstonethatwereplacedonagentleslopebelowthelevelofawatercoursewhichinsomepastagehadbeencutoutofthesolidrock; "ifthosearenottablesonceusedtowashthe‘stuff,’I’maDutchman."
Attheedgeofthisvasthole,whichwasnoneotherthanthepitmarkedontheoldDom’smap,theGreatRoadbranchedintotwoandcircumventedit. Inmanyplaces,bytheway,thissurroundingroadwasbuiltentirelyoutofblocksofstone,apparentlywiththeobjectofsupportingtheedgesofthepitandpreventingfallsofreef. Alongthispathwepressed,drivenbycuriositytoseewhatwerethethreetoweringobjectswhichwecoulddiscernfromthehithersideofthegreatgulf. AswedrewnearweperceivedthattheywereColossiofsomesortoranother,andrightlyconjecturedthatbeforeussatthethree"SilentOnes"thatareheldinsuchawebytheKukuanapeople. Butitwasnotuntilwewerequiteclosetothemthatwerecognisedthefullmajestyofthese"SilentOnes."
