Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-11-18
SOUTH AFRICAN DIAMONDS.

December.
SOUTH AFRICAN DIAMONDS.
Two Extraordinary Gesns--The Lucky
Week--Fifty Diamonds in One Day.
From the New York Tribune.
The mails from Cape Colony
bring information respecting an un-
usually fortunate week in the dia-
mond diggings. The stone liscoy-
cred by Mr.. Parkcs, referred to in
the following article from the cape
1,yNs, is valued at $4,000 to $55,-
600. He had offered the night be-
fore to sell his claim for Is shillings.
The other large diamond is cstima-
ted as of nearly equal value with
that of Mr.. Parkes:
There are two ways by which
Cape people judge Of the success
Of the now established diamond in
dustry. The first and most impor-
tant is the actual yield Of diamonds,
and the second the successful and
paying occupation found for Dig
gers. As far as the first is concern
ed, the news of the fortnight is most
satisfactory. We should say that
both the number and value Of dia-
monds found has been greater than
in any previous fortnight since the
1iggings commenced, while several
diamonds exceptionally large have
been turned up. When the last
mail summary was forwarded to
England, rumor had reached Cape
Town of two enormous diamonds
having been found. Two diamonds,
weighing respectively SO and 81
carats, have, without doubt, been
found. One, we believe, is very
fine gem, Of good shape; the other
somewhat tlawcd. The discovcrers
were as startled as any one else at
their own good luck. In both cases
the claims had promised so little
that the majority Of those working
them had left in despair, and had
gone elsewhere to try their fortunes
Two or three remained as sort of
torlorn hope to make one more at
tempt, and were rewarded by turn
ing out these large and brilliant
gems.
Besides these two monsters, sever
al large diamonds have been found.
two or three of them noted as
especially beautiful, one weighing
10 carats, another 291, and a third
grain OF two short Of 30. We
hear also, on what seems good au-
thority, Of a stone weighing 90
carats, Of somewhat inferior des-
cription, having been purchased
from a native woman for 4 wagon
and span Of oxen. The week end
inc 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 diggers had
found as much in that one week as
they had done in any previous
month. The proceeds were valued
by some at $50, ZOO, 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, il
is true, kept on the mining grounds
at Pniel, but except an exceptional
entry, such as the lucky Wednesday
Uhe 24th), when fifty diamonds
were found, we hear little of its con
tents. In our last number We al
ludcd to the large diamond exports
by the mail steamers rs satisfactory
evidence OF the substantial success
of the diggings. We have not the
exact figures before us, but we be-
licve that both the 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 ,flS, 900, and the Roman to a
still larger amount. To our knowl-
edge. a considerable number have
not vet been sent home, while others
are carried by their owners, and
never figured in the customs report
As to the other way estimating
the success 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 five hundred to six
hundred, and the cry is, Still they
eome-somc on foot; some in spring
carts, well equipped, with food and
implements; others in scrubby vehi-
clcs without cover--all making
for the new mine of South African
wealth. \ few Of the travellers go
alone, with one or two native ser
wants, others in family parties, and
others in small joint-stock compan-
les. They are of all sorts and sizes,
and all descriptions; some are
clerks, some laborerS, some trades
men. Our readers can judge how
many are likely to be successful
among a heterogeneous crowd, pur-
suing an industry peculiarly uncer-
tain, and involving very hard work.
We believe that companies proper
ly organized, with a good staff of
workinen, are likely to be ultimately
fortunate, and such are already be-
ing formed with every prospect OF
success. The correspondent; be
| fore alluded to says: AT Dagger