The Diamond Magnates
The discovery of diamonds in a remote region of the Cape, in the middle of the last century, attracted an extraordinary collection of adventurers to South Africa. From all over the world men flocked to the diamond fields in the hopes of making a quick fortune. When diamond digging gave way to diamond mining, a struggle developed for complete control of the industry. This is the story of the men who, with varying motives, became involved in that struggle.
Cecil Rhodes, son of an English parson, sought financial power to further his vision of Imperial expansion. Barney and Harry Barnato came from London's East End and, with their nephews, Jack, Woolf, and Solly Joel, were determined to establish the financial supremacy of their family. Alfred Beit, a money-
Not until late in their lives did they graduate from Kimberley's corrugated-