State journal & flag., 1846-03-20
Discovery of new Diamond Mine.

a letter which glves some curious details re- lalye to the working of a new diamond mine recently discovered in Brazl. For some months past the communications and commercial intercourse with the province of Bahia have been extraordinary brisk A large number ofinhabitants, spectators, ad. yenturers, and even sugar planters, are emi- grating with their slaves 10 the province of Bahia, where Is situate an immense dia- mond mine. the produce of which is incred- ible. It was discovered in October, ls44, by a slave, who in 20 days had gathered roo carats of diamonds, and carried tb m a considerable distance for sale. Arrested and imprisoned, the slave obstinately refus- cd 10 disclose the locus in quo. They there- fore let him loose, and put number of in- telligent Indians upon his trail The lat ter pursued him for several days and found him working for the extraction of the dia- monds not far from Caxoeira, the second city of Bahia. investigations were then made on large scale along chain of mountains called Sincura, which have given the river Paraguassu, which falls into the bay of Bahia. The first persons who es. labished themselves at the mine of Sncur. ra were chiefly convicts and murderers. They made known their presence by fires and nssassnations. The difficulty of sub ssting in the country, and the danger to which those were exposed who proceeded thiher 10 exchange diamonds for the paper money of Brazil prevented honorable mer- chants from entering into tEe trade. By degrees when the population had become more numerous d system ol police was es- tablshed by the new colonists, and the mine was then worked upon much larger and more extensive scale. The population, which only amounted in 'Augusl, ls44, 10 5000 souls, distributed over ihree villages, was at the end of July upwards of 30,000. ard on the increase The villages al pres. ent inhabited and cultivated arc seven in number. and are named Paraguossa, Com. bucas, Chiqnechique, Causu-Boa, Andra shy, Mage and Lancoe. The last named village, which is 20 leagues distant from Paraguassa, contains alone 5000 families and 20.O00 inhabitants. The central point ot.the diamond trade is Paraguassau, which although sufficiently peopled, has only at present twelve small houses of brick. AL most all the miners go thilher on Saturdays and Sundays 10 sell the stones they have picked up during the week. They receive in exchange different articles of consump> ton, arms and apparel, which are brought thither at great expense from Bahia. The diamonds extracted from Paraguassu are generally speaking, of brown color, and of very irregular formation, While and light green, almost transparent on their first extraction from the m,ne, distinguish those of Lancoes. They are of an oclahedral form, and are the most in request. IL IS often requisite to dig three or four metres in order to reach the cascaille, or layer of the diamonds. Diamonds are also discov. cred in the rocky ravines at inc bottom oi the Paraguassu itself. and the streams which fall into it. The price of these diamonds varies, al Bahia. from 250 10 50S milreis per octave (670f l340E) according 10 their fineness and size. The octave is IT l-2 carais but the Brazilian carat is 1.2 per cent less than the French which makes the Brazilian carat about 67flo 134f. The present course of exchange Of Bahia is 365 reis for frarc. The two English steamers of May and June brought about 5,500,000 francs worth of diamonds from this mine. During lhe months of June and July the mine yielded nearly l45O carats per day. IL is estimated 10 have produced. during the six months of it's working, nearly 100000 Porugues carats (about ls,300000 francs,) of which three 6fths were sent to England, another fith'awats buyers at Rio Janeiro and Bahia. Not all the lapidaries in Europe would be sufficient 10 polish only one half of the produce of the Sincurra mine: thus depreciation of that value is expected,
 which gives rise to the most hazardous spec. uations. Brazil, which has the privilege of supplying the trade with diamonds, did not produce annually. before the discovery of lhe Sincurra mine, more than six or sev- en klogrammes, which cost more than a
 million for inc expenses of working thus the price even in the rough state, has always been very high. Hitherto no very large diamonds have been found at Sincurra.
 There are very few in the world weighing more than 20 grammes. The largest dia
 mond is that of Agra, weighing l33 gram. mes that of the Rajah of Matan. in Borneo
 weighs 7S grammes that of the Great Mo. gull 63 grammes, and that of France, called the "Regent." 2s grammes 80 centigram
 mes; but t is of a very pretty shape and perfect in every respect. Before being pol ished It weighed ST grammes, and cost two years labor. The mine of Sncurra pre- sen,s the spectacle of an independent colo ny in the bosom of the mother country
 Hitherto the Government has taken no steps to possess itself of the direction of this trade, which promises to be SO abundant a source of wealth 10 Bahia, and it will be perhaps induced to sanction the regulations formed by the inhabitants themselves for the work> ing of the mine which already covers a su- perfcies of more than 30 leagues !''--Jour- nal des Debats.
 THE DIAMOND MINB.-The Frankfort journal has an extract oft letter from Rio, giving some curious details of the diamond mines recently discovered in Brazil :-"Hats full of the stones have been picken up and brought away. Two-thrds of them are of a yellowish tinge, and do not possess the us. ual hardness of the diamond, but many of them are very fine. The House of Bon6m and Seshesdr,the largest diamond merchants at Rio Janeiro, at first threw doubts on .he l. Al- 4