New-York tribune., 1870-11-01
THE SOUTH AFRICAN DIAMONDS.
EXPERIENCES OF A CALIFORNIA MINER.

EXPERIENCES OF A CALIFORNIA MINER.
One who mined in California in the early
days writes from the OF the diamond discoveries to
The Alta California under date Of Aug. 4, follows
We left Coesburg the lst of July and arrived at the
Headquarters of the diamond fields the 5th GOO miles,
We found plenty Of grass aud bush for he animals, but
one shilling for water for ourselves and stock this water
had been collected in kind of hole formed by damming
% ng the rainy ana through the dry
The road Is excellent all the way & from Gpfs9aTs to the
fornian scene OF early days presented itself The river
oors and s1e for mile on both sides Ar least 800
miners were at work. whole families, men, women,
and children having ett dher homes either d IN imG lras ans
picking shoveling and washing the dirt, who
te nebbs that had been Washed for d9monds
Before crossing the Yaa River applied TO Mr. Kallen-
farm but he refused strangers TO him. He
only allows those whom he knows TO mine the estate,
and be makes them give him Oneourth Of the proceeds
Of their finds There about 200 people the estate
when arrived, aud they had found on an average,
about 2j diamonds day from quarter TO five ear
rats each; large diamonds have been found this
estate up 70 the time Of arrival but several have
been found nceOne Ot 10 carats one of II caras, and
one OF I3 carats.
We crossed the river on the 5th OF July On the 9th we
signed the miners rules and picked out our clans-2o
feet square for each partner. We took claim on the
third capie, hi down the river; the first eape is
12 diamonds from triangular space OF about so PAGES in
eircumference and from inches to a inches IN depth
this Triangle ON the same cape The second eapie had
proved rich since and about 0Oda0nds had been taken
ont from It, The third cape had just been opened and
20 diamonds had been taken from UP to the time OF our
arrival.
At the first cspe the diamonds were from to TO- 80,
aud 40 carats at the second from to II, 49, and 63
earats and from the third FROM to G. TO- and 10 caIats
party from to and 20i carats, the lot valued at
5000 The Natal party have 4Ocarat diamond worth
parties andt value OF the lot is about 10000. We
commandant lSlT Parker, who was formerly rader)
and cOmmitte Of safety, consisting of twelve miners
The Ownership OF the country was in dispute between
the ransvaa Republic Orange Free State, and several
native chiefs, but the miners do not recognize either Of
these p2rdees esc AND Gsy speak strongly OF erecting
Most of the miners work in this manner: They first
inches TO three feet in depth then With meal,sfer
they sift the dirt and throw out all large stones The
about on an average, yards the mine and there
wash II in California goldcrade; they then lay the
a time with scraper: by this means beV get hrousb
about two cartoads of sifted "cascalhao day. Some
OF the dt they dip the sieve In the water ana wash the
Tor dry sitting, the top sieve OF onequarer inch holes
and the bottom sieve OF threesxteenths inch holes the
pp sieve inclined one about Is degrees, that all
we large stones will fall of by the shaking; the bottom
SIEVE longer than the top one and inclined 25 degrees
IN the opposite drecon the dirt and gravel that passes
through the top sieve falls the second one and the
passes through and the gravel TO wash passes ont at
put through @ day with this Medium and
& u to 70 cartoads Of graVel but two men can
m
% oeen washed, and not put more than u cart
% ig eaai1ugn III day in consequence OF this We are
put more ground through presently ~ ~ ~ " ~
dmond S,iy my oi our washing We obtained IA carat
~ nkny on colored, but good sbaped and nearly
round valued at as We worked this claim ont and aot
nSl1e ore. we 1red out several other claims on that
were found an around us We worked three WEEKS on
tha sue VI e neI without further success and then
to mine on the Pruel Farm moved over here d N
the first days washing found two beantas - anu on
carats All that nesd now T. sorting ,naI I anu
Will sOrt a. fast "a can put the cascahan ' nat
the washer shall Try my hand atinyentns one 'us"