Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-11-09
TUE UL4VOND DITG Frs.

The last mails bring farther accounts OF
the diamond diggings at Cape Colony. The
past fortnight before the mail left was said to
have been the best yet in the history OF the
dipgings. A Mr. Parkes found Il diamond
valued at from $40, 900 to 500, 600. The editor
of the Journal speaks as follows of Iarkes ;
discovery, and other matters.
At the time of the find Parkcs was in des-
pondiug mood, and was about to offer his
claim for sale or to abandon it. lie had been
at work for two months, and had found moth
iny worth mentioning. However, he resolved
upon taking last dig or two. most tortu-
nate resolve. In went the pick, and out
tumbled the diamond. Iou should have seen
Mr. Kings dramatic repre- NATION OF Parkes 5
excitement on finding a fortune at stroke !.
The stagger, the shine, the smile ON the fore
head, and the scream OF JOY were admirably
initiated by the jolly farmer of Bedford Be
sides these two monsters, several fine large
diamonds have been found, two or three of
them noted as especially beautiful, one weigh
ing 40 carats another 293, and thrda gram
or TWO short of 20. We hear also, on what
seems good authority, OF stone weighing 60
carats, of somewhat inferior description, hay
ing been purchased from native woman for
d
ing the 9th OF August, went by the name OF
the lucky week." from the number and
quality OF the stones picked up. This was
said to have been the most prolific week the
Fields had seen. The dggers had found as
much in that one week as they had done in
any previous month. The proceeds we've
valued by some at $50 900, by others at a
much larger figure. But these amounts are
little more than guesses
There is, of course, no general register
kept of the diamonds found, and we are told
that no concern is shown to make public small
or even ordinary finds. We only hear OF the
large stones. A register Is, II Is true, kept
on the mining grounds at Pnlel. but except
an exceptional entry, such as the lucky
Wednesday (the 24th), when so diamonds
were found, we hear little of its contents. In
our last number we alluded to the large
diamond exports by the mail steamers as
satisfactory evidence of the substantial sue
cess of the diggings. We have not the exact
figures before us, but we believe that both tie
Good Hope, which sailed on the 18th, and the
Roman, which conveys this summary, have
parcels of great value on board. The Good
Hope carries to the value OF Els, 200, and the
Roman to a still larger amount To our
knowledge, a considerable number have not
vet been sent home, viii others are car
ried by their owners, and never figure IN the
Customs report.
AS to the other way of estimating the sue
cess of the Fields-namely, the luck which
attends individual diggers, or the digging
community as a whole, in less than two
months the digging population has been in
creased from 800 to 5000 and the cry is still
they come-some on foot; some in spring
carts, well equipped with food and impc-
ments; others in scrubby vehicles without Il
cover-all making for the new mine OF South
African wealth. few of the travellers go
alone, with enc or two native servants, others
in family parties, and some in small joint
stock companies. They are of all sorts and
sizes, and all descriptions; some are clerks,
some laborers, some tradesmen. Our read
ers can Judge how many are likely to be sue
cessiul among motley heterogeneous crowd,
pursuing an industry peculiarly uncertain,
and involving very hard work. We believe
that companies, properly organized, with a
good staff of workmen, are likely to be
ultimately fortunate, and such are already
being formed with every prospect OF success.
The correspondent before alluded to says
cat Daggerboer's Neck / heard good deal
about the great party which started from that
place some time ago under Capt. Frisby. The
venture-a Joint stock affair-absor cap
ital of S. COO. This is business as well as
digging party, and good accounts have been
received of the prospects OF the specuia'iohS'