The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-13

These we've all taking their ease at the chiefs
cabin. neir rounded limbs were decorated
with mauv rings of different metals and various
colors. Many of the rings were made of the
ivory their countrymen had sold to the Eng
lish 20 had brought 1t back as presents, cut
out a, q shaped by the manufacturer. In some
of th' ornaments there were actually diamond
settings that would exchange for bags full OF
With these evidences of future success, l re-
solved to leave the trading company and start
out at once for the diamond regions. On the
fifth day. while we were crossing sandy plain
on the right bank of the Vaal, picked up
shining pebble, which now have in my posses
sion, and which expect to get at least $500 for
ceeded in two-wheeled cart drawn by mule,
until we reached the base of the mountain and
then continued our journey on foot. could
net wait to go the longer, but much easier,
route. AS our informants had assured us, we
came in sight of swarms of men, women, and
children all at work at various places near the
river. 1t was not long before l was among
them, eager to buy all the claims 1 could lay
Since my connection with the business, have
often heard the story relating how it was first
discovered that diamonds existed at all in this
country. The story agrees wherever it is heard,
and l think must therefore be true. Some
traders were returning towards the coast with a
large quantity of feathers, ETC., when they over
took some children playing by the side of
small stream. One of them, young girl, had
pebble in her hand, playing with it, and
friendly smauser GRADER asked permission to
look at it. The girl gave 1t TO him, and though
not a connoisseur, he thought the pebble was
rare gem of some kind and took 1t to the port
with him, where it was examined by the French
Consul who pronounced it diamond worth
E1000.s
The next valuable stone coming from the
diamond country was one found in the posses
sion of heather Kaffre, who kept it as family
charm. He was first offered E1000 for it, but
refused to part with it for that, for although he
| had no idea about its intrinsic value he was
| shrewd enough to know that it must be a rare
thing or the Englishmen would not be so eager
| to get it. The next time the same trading party
! came along they offered $4,000 for the diamond,
! which was accepted. The traders disposed of
the gem for e10,000 and it has since been cut at
! Amsterdam and is now valued at e40 900.
| All my expectations have neen more than
| realized since arrived in the diamond country.
! / have not stumbled over diamond pebbles, as
some might infer from what WRITE but have
done the next thing to picking up whole for
tunes off the ground. few weeks ago wit
messed the destruction of several huts for the
diamonds in the mud walls. The huts of the
natives are all plastered up inside with COM
position made principally OF sand taken out of
the bottom of the rivers.
Soon after the excitement began, when all
| eyes were alert it was discovered that in many
| instances the earth walls were studded with
sparkling diamonds. A general raid was at
once begun on all the huts standing along the
| banks of the streams, the walls torn down and
dissolved in water, after which the diamonds
were taken out whole. So far as my observa-
tion has gone, however, no hut has been dis
mantled without the owner being well remune-
rated. The gems taken in this way will probably
amount to 81, ,000, 900 in value.
The places where the work of digging is now
most actively going on is along the banks of the
Orange river from Alwal to Gariep Station,
and on the Vaal from above Plattburg to the
junction with the Orange, including district
about as large as the State of Massachusetts,.
From present appearances should judge that
the supply of diamonds would never be ex-
hausted, as they are turning up thicker every
day as fast as miners arrive and 90 to work.
A regular code of laws has been adopted and is
now enforced by vigilance committee. Every
one who goes to the mining region with a
little capital to start with and a determination
to work is sure to get rich in a short time.
On my way to Port Natal passed two days
at Bloemfontein, the present capital of the
Transvaal Republic, and had the good fortune
to witness state reception given by President
Brandt, on which occasion l was invited, with
several other Americans, to be present. 1t
seemed to have been gotten up for the almost
express purpose of giving the Vaal river dia-
monds regular display. Some of the court
ladies present appeared to be almost loaded
down with diamonds. They also wore the
richest materials in dresses, and the brilliant
diamonds were shown off to their greatest ad-
vantage when contrasted with the dark CON-
plexions of some of the distinguished female
guests from the adjoining States. One lady in
particular made a special display of the pre-
puffed, and fairly studded with brilliants. She
wore ring clusters outside of her white kids, and
gold bracelets with galaxies of starry gems On her
bosom she wore a single brilliant valued at
f11,000. This precious gem, set against a
background of black point lace, shone forth with
the Iustre of Venus as she sometimes appears
through an opening in heavy bank of clouds,
with a cold, dark sky beyond. The heavy
lounces of her dress were looped up all ronnd
and fastened with clusters of the same precious
jewels. AS she passed across the room and
turned around the pieI cling rays would shoot
continually from the dark folds, positively daz-
zling to the eyes of a spectator. The handle OF
her fan even glittered with small gems. per-
son might have walked behind her in the crowd
and plucked whole fortunes from her person by
the handful.
am told that full set of South African dia-
monds has been presented to Queen Victoria, and
it is also said that the trunks of the Empress
Eugenie, who l hear is a fugitive, contain
another costly set of the same kind of jewels.
The FATE OF TRAIToR.-A French paper
has the folloWing:-|'A French captain in