Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-11-03
Diamonds. Trumps.

the world has seen no such mania in the
search for sudden wealth as is now occas-
Toned by the diamond fields of Africa.
This region is on the Vaal and Orange
rivers, partly in the republic of Transvaa.
A line drawn straight across the continent,
west from the southern point of the is
land of Madagascar, would cross it, just
after passing over the mountains that
form the eastern rim of the great interior
basin. 1t rs almost 800 miles from Cape
Town, and perhaps 600 miles from Port
Elizabeth and nearer yet to Port Natal.
The FIRST diamond was dissolved about
four years ago by a traveller, who bought
it OF little native girl. and took it TO
Cape Town, where the French consul was
TIE arst to inform the owner of the true
character of his possession. Other gems
made their appearance at long intervals,
but the colonists, who are proverbially
slow and without enterprise, doubted the
real existence of a diamond region. At
length in the spring of 1859 merchant
bought of cattle drover for mere song
a diamond Of 83t carats weight and of SO
much value that stock company was
formed to take possession of 1t. 1t Is
called the. "Star of South Africa" and the
cost of eating and other expenses of its
manage ment have already amounted to
$4,000. It is now in England and is
coveted by the Prince of Wales, who can
i'll afford 1.-The stamps"
ID nring the past year, the excitement
has been constantly increasing, till now
all South Africa is rushing to the mines,
some in horse and ox-teams, and more
on foot for the whole distance. The num-
Der of diggers on the Vaal and Orange
rivers is now near 10000, and the product
bis variously estimated at from 81 100000
to $5,000,000. The community has be-
come so large that it has organized a re.
public or provisional government, with
STAFFORD Parker for president, IA jolly fell
low, stands beer and swears well,) and an
executive council of eleven men, one OF
whom bears the propitious name OF Van
der By1. the authorities mako quick
work with criminals, and enforce the OBJ
servence of the Sabbath, while property il
perfectly safe, from the singular reason
that all expect immediate wealth by more
honorable means than stealing. The in
stinctive Auglo-Saxon habit of local self
government asserts itself, and saves the
miners from the chaos that would other
wise reign. The title to the country is
so involved that the squatters have no
other way to do than to appropriate it,,
set upa government of their own, and
trust to the British Parliament for the
rest. The territory was originally claimed
by the Transvaai republic, the Orange
River Free State, and by native chiefs,
president Pretorious," the former local
authority, has resigned his power to be-
come digger.
The diamond region covers 1000 square
miles, and the precious stones are found
in the mud plains and the beds of the
rivers Even the native bellies, who re-
semble American Indians more than
negroes, but are of much greater personal
comeliness, wear in their hair handouts of
uncut gems that would excite the envy of
! a princess. The walls of the mud bats
were also found to sparkle with brilliants,
and whole villages have been bought up,
demolished, and dissolved in water to dis
close their wealth. Some pick indepen-
dence from their first shoveltul of dirt,
others spend weeks in a vain search for a
single carat's weight. The business is all
lottery, as gold-digging was in Califor-
MIA, and will probably ruin more men
than it will profit. But it will be one of
the historical events of this century, and
may prove a new era for South Africa
Spring field Republican.
WONDERS OF EASTER IsLAND.-In
the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, three
thousand miles distant from the nearest
continent, rises the mysterious Easter
Island, Astounding with the remains of re-
mote antiquity, which greatly interested
and perplexed party of savants who re-
| DIlito1 thapn Tho leland i ahont
forty miles in circumference, barren,
without trees, destitute of resources, in
habited by few savages, who lead the
most miserable existence imagins BILE. But
upon this narrow strip of land, so barren
| and unprod uctive, the astonished eye OF
! the explorer beholds forrest of gigantic
stone statues, about the origin and mean
ing of which the race dwelling around
them knows absolutely nothing. The
smallest of these statues measure twenty
feet in height, while many measure thirty
feet, and a few attain the Incredible dl-
mensious of fifty feet. Some repose upon
long platforms constructed in the cyclic
pean manner; the greater portion of them
} wear crowns about six feet IN height,
, formed OF volcanic tuta, which have evI
IDENTIFY been placed upon these statues
after their erection. The foreheads of the
statues are retreating and the mouth
prominent, which indications may prob
ably reveal the race who constructed them
As regards the workmanship displayed
upon them, it is rude and clumsy, although
not destitute of character and expression
The questions concerning them, presented
for solution, are, what do they represent
whose handiwork are they and how
came they there ? There are no metals in
; Easter Island, nor even slick; only few
hard species of stone are found capable OF
> being fashioned into axes, with which
perhaps these mysterious statues were
, hewn. The stone of which they are com
posed is found neither upon the island OF
on any of the surrounding islands; their
!; number, dimensions and character form
ing a strange contrast to the narrowress
and poverty of the place wherein they art
. constructed How could this barren
island have nourished race of men capa
BILE of raising such monuments? Where
is this race, and what country do they
> still inhabit? In reply to these specula
tons, several scientific men of high au
thority hazard the opinion that the island
in question is only one of the submits o
the submerged continent which geological
8 evidence proves at one time to have occn
pied the whole of that part of the Pacific
L which is now called Polynesia. Severa
also show grounds for believing that tn,
, statues in question present Mexican
physiognomy, and may have been The
work of one of the kindred races of tina
people. Several Of these monuments arr
now on their way to the British museum
: where, it is hoped, additional light viii
be thrown upon them.
- The Norsnsield Cadets at M0ntpe
EIer.
= The parade and review of the student
: of the Norwich University took place il
r State House Grounds, Tuesday morning
: They turned out thirty-tw muskets, IN
lon nn..xxa :. 4 e - N. 4u.zz ;.atn..a. -