The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1857-10-10

Diamond Washing and Diamond Cutting.
The diamond possesses much higher and more uni.
form value than any other article of commerce. The
supply has never far exceeded the demand to make
any change in the price of cut stones In l843 when
the mines at Sincora in Baba were discovered, fears
entertained that permanent depreciation would
take place. but the very high prices which required to
be paid for all the necessaries Of e and the unhealthy
Of the climate, speedily reduced the number OF
diamond seekers and the fall scarcely felt in Europe
The tract of country in which the Brazilian diamonds
found extends from the village Of ltambe, in Mnas-
Geaes, in Sncora, the river Paragussa Of Baha be-
tween 20 deg. 10 min and l3 deg. Of south latitude
They are chiefly obtained from the numerous streams
which form the sources of the rivers Doco Arrasuaky,
Jequitinhonha and San Francisco 1t is also highly
probable that the aurerous regions Of Australia, like
those of South America, contain diamonds: two from
the river Macquare having been sent to the exhibition
which was lately held at Paris.
Diamonds consist of pure carbon, and are often found
the form Of eight twelve sided crystals, the latter
being the less common figure.
Of their formation in the great laboratory Of nature,
nothing is known but they supposed to exist orig
nally in the mountains, whence they carried down
into the valleys by the torrents which flow during the
rainy seasons The degradation Of the rocks must be
accomplished by the powerful agency of the tropc foods
and the precious gems which thus excavated, must
be deposited in the scdmenary debris which form the
beds of the rivers before the search of becomes
cessful The parent stone, matrix, mica schst,
called 1te Coumite whose fragments mixed with earth
form the casalho which is dug from the rivers, and in
which the diamond seeker finds his treasure In South
America the auvium of the rivers not only contains
diamonds but gold and patna, though both these metals
generally finely powdered almost to defy ec-
ton by the ordinary process of washing The river Je
quitinhonha is one of the richest in Brazil, and the
works it's banks have been carried for long period
When the dry season, which continues from April to
the middle Of October has reduced the depth of water
the river is turned aside into canal previously formed
by making embankment: with bags of sand, the
original channel The water which remains is then
pumped out, the mud dug to depth varying from six
to twenty feet and removed to the place where the wash
ing is afterwards to be performed While the dry sea.
continues the labor Of collecting the cascalho is
ried unremttingy, to have sufficient quantity
to occupy the negroes during the rainy months The
mud which is raised from some Of the rivers contains
diamonds uniformly dused, that pretty correct ap
Proclamation be made to the number Of carats which
given quantity will produce 1t sometimes happens
however, that grooves found containing large quant
ties of diamonds and gold When the rainy season puts
stop to the raising of the cascalho the of opera
tions is changed to the washing She'd which the
suit Of the dry seasons abors has been heaped up The
troughs called Canoes arranged side by sde and the
overseer occupies elevated seat in 'front.' to OBJ
serve every movement of the working negroes. Into
each of the canoes small of water is introduced
to carry away the earthly part of the cascaho Having
placed half hundred weight of the cascalho in the
canoe, the negro lets in the stream, and keeps up
motion till the mud has been all washed away and
water perfectly clear The gravel is then taken
out by the hand, and carefully examined for dia-
monds. When is found, the negro stands upright,
and caps his hands, signal to the overseer who
ceives it from the fnder and places it in bowl with
water, which is hung in the midst Of the she'd The
days work being finished, all the diamonds which have
been found delivered to the superintendent who
ters their weight in book Large diamonds are ex.
ceeding It has been calculated that aver
age of 900 there seldom more than one found
which weighs twenty carats, while there perhaps
SO0O each of which is less than At the works
the river Jequtnhonha there have rarely been found
more than two three stones weighing from seventeen
twenty each in the washings of year in the
whole diamond mines of Brazil, not more than one is
found in two years. Of thirty carats. In 1851,
of 1908 carats found at the Of the river
Patrocnho in Minas-Gera afterwards, one Of lO7
carats, the Rio das Vehas; and another Of 874 at
Chapada. But the largest which has been obtained of
late years is The Star Of the South which previous
to being cut, weighed 254 carats
Many precautions are used to prevent the negroes
from concealng the stones they find such frequent
y causing them to remove at given signal from one
trough to another Encouragenents are also offered to
induce them to pursue the search with great The
negro who finds diamond Of III csrats is crowned with
wreath of flowers and carried in procession to the ad
ministrator who gives him his Freedom suit of Clothes
and permission to work his own account. One who
was present when stone Of 163 carats was found at
Tejuco, says 1t pleasing to the anxious desire
manifested by the officers that it might entte the poor
negro his freedom and when, on being delivered and
weighed, it proved only carat short of the requisite
weight, all seemed to sympathize in his disappointment
stone of eight ten carats entities the finder two
shirts, suit of clothes, hat and handsome knife.
For smaller but valuable stones proportionate premiums
given Brasil sends yearly into the trade about
10000 carat weight Of uncut diamonds During the
two years after the discovery of the diamond mine
Sincora, in Baha 100000 were sent to Europe
but iu 1852 the quantity had fallen to 10000.
The labor expended in collecting that small bag of
dull CLASSY stone is Immense. One can easily lift with
the hand the product Of years digging and washing
yet, to bring them together, much sweat has flowed
while the steamng negroes dug tho clay under burn.
ing tropic The whip has many time reused the
tagging energies sharpened the search among the
gravel in the washing trough Net few have perish
ed and been laid by their companions under the dark
green tree, from whose branches hang garands of love-
y orchida And to 6ll up the blanks which have been
made in the ranks of the oiling slaves of BRAZIL many
have been dragged from the Of Africa in spite Of
the efforts Of this country to prevent the unhoy traffic.
The humanity Of somc however, and the senterest Of
others have led them frame rules which mitigate sa
very in connection with the diamond mines OF Brazil
The rewards which offered not only prove an incen'