The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-10-21
Fabulous Discoveries of WeAIth-The
Arabian Nights OuG Done
Diamonds Plenty an BlacEbcrrIss and
Big rs Lemons.

bIuAhonua FlenIy an HIackDcFFleH ana
Big Rs Lemons.
From ne New IoTk Sun ef TIeJdGy.
II seems % though, after q lapse Of
three centuries, Sir Walter Rallegh's
dreams Of an ri Dorado were about 10
be realized.
The other day We published an &C.
count OF marvellous discoveries Of tllR-
monds In South Africa. They had becn
found for miles along the banks OF the
Orange and the Vaal rivera. They were
not only abundant, but they were, many
OF them, Of great size. Some were found
ofLhe pandaloque shape and OF the IlrsE
water, Weighing upward OF eighty ca.
rata; others OF the octahedron, or four.
pointed, that weighed thirty carats; and
OF The smaller varieties immense mum.
bers had been picked up on the surface
OF the ground. Naturally, South
Africa was In q ferment, Ele-
plants tusks were forgotten; and
every one was hunting for precious
stones. The Infection had even OK.
tended TO this city, and Dr.. Hall was
organizing colony 10 60 diamond.
gathering, But now come reports from
Australia OF discoveries there which
far eclipse those In South Africa, TeIe.
grams have come flying from the Aus.
trallan mines 10 England big enough
10 make the diamond merchants hold
their breath with Astonlshmeut, The
glitterlng stones have been picked up
In such quantities that, says the Lon.
don Times In leading article on the
subject, the oolonlBts are all dreaming
Of precious stones. Al every table and
In every railway carriage the talk 10 Of
diamonds and rubles, opals and emer-
aids, pearls Dnd topBZss, and people Of
all ranks are rushing 10 The mInes.-
Genuine diamonds arc on sale by wo-
men and children ct every cottage,
and there can hardly be a mistake, we
should think, about tho nature OF the
stones
This Is marvellous enough In all con-
science, but this Is not half the story ;
the rest OF It smacks Of tho Arabian
Nights Entertainments, and Slndbad
the Sailors adventures In the great
diamond valley, to which he few on
the back OF mighty bird. And this
latter and wonderful half we mus. pre-.
face with the statement, familiar doubt.
less to many Of our readers, that the In.
crease In value OF the diamond Is vastly
greater in proportion than It's increase
In weight. Astone weighing one carat,
for instance, might be worth fifty dol.
lars; but one Weighing Eve carats
would be worth two thousand. Imagine
then, the value OF one as big "a a lemon,
and Weighing three.quarters offs pound
Such one is said 10 have been found
In Australia. Its discovery has been
telegraphed to England. It was placed
In the hands Of trustworthy man. He
was surrounded by strong Gordon Of
military, and was marched In this way
from the mines to Sydney, where the
magnificent gem was deposited In the
mint. The stone has not yet been thor.
oughly tested. Biologists are at work
upon 1t now; bat II 1t really proves 10
be what Is supposed, 1Is value will be
almost fabulous. The weight Is 900
earats. The great English diamond,
the pride OF the British Empire, the
Koh-l.noor, weighs but l60 carats, and
Its computed value is ten millions of
gold. The value ofthestonej Just found,
II computed by the tables In use, would
be q hundred millions In gold. But Of
course, this value would In any event
be imaginary, since no purchaser could
be be found with hundred millions to
spare for diamond, even II It was as
big as lemon.