New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-09-01
THE DIAMOND DIGGINGS.
The Land of Precious Stones.


The correspondent: Of the New York
TorM writes this about the new diamond
fields:
CoLzsBuRG, Cape of Good Hope
QJo miles from the Diamond Felds June 10.
l have but just time to write Won few
lines about the diamond fields before the
closing of the mail for England. / am on
my way there, and at this place l have
formed company. We take.an eight mule
team and wagon, tent, q large pump, and
set of sluices and sleeves. The diamonds are
found one thousand yards from the river
bank tthe Wall, and the banks are fifty feet
high. The surrounding country is fat,
grassy and treeless. There is no chance Of
getting water for sluicing by going up the
river and cutting canal as they do in Cali
fOrnia, SO the next best plan is to rig pump
on the banks of the river and lead the water
to the sluice boxes. have had my sluices
made wider than the gold sluice boxes of
California, and at the lower end have a
chest of drawers, the bottoms of which are
different sized sleeves, thus asserting the
stones as they are washed through accord
ing to their size, and making it easier to
pick out the diamonds. The only plan used
now is to cart the diamondiferOus earth to
the banks of the river, and there wash it by
hand or through long tom.
There is the greatest excitement in the
colonies Of the Cape and Natal, and great
rllsa is being made from all parts to the
diamond fields. Diamonds are coming in
by the hundred. There are three hundred
men in the fields now.
NO ROYALTIES.
Two governments and a native chief
claim the gPOunds-"The Transval Repub-
hc," ''The Free States" and the Chief
Yanki-but the miners have made their own
laws, and intend to keep the country them
selves; so the above governments are afraid
to try and enforce their demands of roy
atty on the diamonds found, and the miners
invite Corners from all parts of the world.
Provisions are plenty and cheap, but mining
tools of the right kind are scarce.
The following is copy of the diggers'
rules:
\ ALLUvIAL CLAIMS.
|. Every man to be allowed twenty feet
square. No party claims to exceed six in
number, whose whole claim must be taken
in conjunction.
2+The boundary Of each claim to be dis
tinctly marked. and such marks at all times
TO be kept free fromrUbbish.
g. All claims to have free access at all
times, for the removal of wash-dirt over
any other claims that may be at work.
4. No claims to be allowed to throw their |
rubbish upon their neighbours claim without
permission.
s. Should any dispute arise between two |
or more parties respecting their claim, such
dispute shall be settled by the arbitration OF
four assessors appointed by the parties in |
dispute, and referee to be called in by the |
assessors, if necessary, whose decision shall |
be final.
6. Should any party or parties mark on |
more ground than allowed by these rules, !
any other pc rsOn shall have the option of |
taking the surplus ground from any side OF |
such claim he may think proper.
RIVER CLAIMS.
7. Each man to be allowed fifty feet front
age along the bed of the river, the same to
be distinctly marked at low water mark
PROSPECTING CLAIMS
s. Any person discovering a new run or
patch of diamonds shall. upon reporting the
same to a committee appointed, be entitled
to four ordinary claims: and such report to
be posted up in a conspicuous place on the
present dlgglngs, stating the locality, and,
should he fail III reporting, and another per-
son finds payable ground in the same
locality, the first person reporting shall be
entitled to the prospecting claim
9. No party shall be allowed to remain
absent from his claim more than three sue
cessive working days, unless in case of sick
ness, work in con junction with his claim as
washing, etc., or pressing business, when a
notice must be posted up on his claim, stat
ing the time OF his absence: after which
time the claim shall be considered as aban-
dOned.
10. No man shall be allowed more than
one clam at the same time.
Ill. Any person against whom it shall be
proved us having picked up a diamond upon
a claim belonging to another, and not restor-
ing it to the owner of such claim imme-
diately, shall be considered as a thief and
expelled the diggngs.
II. No heap of dirt upon any abandoned
claim shall be considered as private prop
erty, unless it can be shown to committee
that some accident, such as rain, breakage
OF wagon, etc, has prevented the washing
or sieving of any such heap of dirt.
IL. That no party or parties shall be al
lowed more than FIVE niggers to work their
claim.
p. D. J. VANDERBILT, Chairman.