The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-11-20

1t seems, says the n Y. San, as though, after
lapse of three centuries, Sir Walter Raleigh's
dreams of an Ell Dorado were about to be re-
allied.
The other day We published an account of mar
vellous discoveries of diamonds in South Africa.
They had been found for miles along the banks
of the Orange and Vaal river. They we're not
only abundant, bat they were, many of them, of
great size Some were found of the pandaieuue
ehaps and of the first water, weighing upward Of
eighty carats; others of the octahedron, or four
pointed that weighed thirty carats; and of the
smaller varieties immense numbers had been
picked up on the surface OF the ground Nat
urally, South Africa in a ferment. Ele-
plants tusks were forgotten, and every one was
hunting Tor precious stones. The infection had
even extended to this city, and DR. Hall was
organizing = colony to 90 diamond gathering
But now come reports from Australia of discov-
cries there which far eclipse those in South
Africa. kilograms have come flying from the
Australian mines to England big enough to make
the diamond merchants hold their breath with
establishment The glittering stones have been
picked up in such quantities that, says the Lou
don Tines in leading article on the subject,
'the coonists are all dreaming of precious stones
At every table and in every railway carriage the
talk is of diamonds and rubies, opals and emer-
aids, pearls and t0pazes, and people of all ranks
are rushing to the mines. Genuine diamonds
are on sale by women aud children at every cot
tage, and there hardly be a mistake, we
should think, about the nature of tho stones"
r This is marvellous enough in all conscience,
but this is not half the story; the rest of it
smacks of the Arabian Nights Euter taiments,
and Sinbad the Sailors adventures in the great
diamond valley TO which he flew on the back of
mighty bird. And this latter and wonderful
half we must preface with the statement, familiar
doubtless to many of our. readers, that the in
crease in value of the diamond Is vastly greater
in proportion than its increase in weight A
stone weighing one carat, for instance, might be
worth fifty dollars; but one weighing i've carats
would be worth two thousand Imagine then,
the value of one as big ~ lemon, and weighing
three.quarters of pound Such one is said to
have been found in Australia It's discovery HI IS
been telegraphed to England. IL Was placed in
the hands OF Trustworthy mau. He MAS SUR
rounded by strong Gordon of military. and wss
marched In this way ffotn the mines to Sydney,
where the magnificent gem was depusited in the
mint. The stone has not yet been thoroughly
tested biologists are at work upon it now but
II 1t really proves to be what 1T is supposed, its
value will be almost fabulous lts weight i,
800 carats The great English diamond. that
pride of the British Empire, the koh.i.noor.
weighs but 1856 carAts. And it's computed value i.
ten millions in gold. The value of the stone iu.t
found, if computed by the tables in use, would
be y hundred millions in gold. But Of course
this value would in any event be imaginary
since no purchaser could be found with hun
dred millions to spare for diamond, even if i,
was ~ big rs lemon. "fTFFn