The New York herald., 1871-11-25

Mr. vause writes to the London Times his i'm.
prcssions of visit to the South African diamond
diggtnRs as follows:-
This Is written from within stones throw OF the
spot on which stands the vcrItabe house Van
Wyks) said TO have been rlastered with diamonds,
a paragraph about which went The round OF the
i .n out To G S s
plaster on the outer wali-a thing not to be W on
dered at seeing that tins arm and the adjoining
ones have proved the richest yet known The Lult-
fontcln dggings abuJ almost on to those OF
DL Ltoitspau, De Beers, The third, being dis
adjacent each to tho other, and on them
are congregatcd about fifteen thousand whites
nao Nearly Grsn ali vS unSer G1 caa1as sSs
many In their wagons, which are commOdiOus and
rooms Stores and Hotels are Sa M aun 1eepng
wood with iron roofs, and, being numerous the
whole forms curous and interesting slgnt as seen
in the bright sunlight. There Is nothing else like II
IN south Africa II In the world. Certainly nothing
like 1t exists anywhere connected with the search
any river the work being confined to dry slftings
Al first diamonds were obtained on and Immedt.
largely to depth OF sixteen ieet, or even more
stone OF 124 carats mas been uneartIcd, probably
not worth more, however, on the spot than G2, o0O
being Of very irregular shape.
The otner diggings are all within carting distance
OF water. nearly all on tho yaal River which viii
DO found on the maps as forming q juno Ion with
the Orange River IN about latitude % O5 Noi1h
longitude "a 10 East, all on soil claimed by The Free
state ana South African republics. In ali some
seventeen river spots have been worked, With
varying success, hut are all being gradually de. 10.
serted ser ror the OF Datotspau where
claim thirty feet square, and after loosening with
pick and shovel, bucket out the stur sitting and
sorting on the Clain AT the river the stony nature
OF the ground entails greater manual exertion and
at Pnel large boulders have to be displaced. Be-
sides which you have either to cart the water from
the river to the claim or the diamondIferous stun
to tae . river; Will VIII not not occupy your valuable
formation Of these fields, the more so as AIR. Ton,r
OF the London Polytechnic who recently left this
place. will on his return enllghtcn the pubic there
on. de mas with hun what some take TO be specl-
men OF tue diamond IN It's matrix-as yet, however,
q moot point.
What more interests the reader Is whether
diamond digging Will pay and the readies. mode OF
getting to the nelds. l purpose giving few par
concusons Frs Them as to 80 My s OWN OWN
conclusion IS that as yet any one without means
TO take him home again IN the event Of failure ought
not to come here. Not but that there are diamonds
sufficient, for l believe, Judging from personal
observation. there are fields still undeveloped
come, and that diamond digging Will before long
become an established industry, as gold digging IS
mond digging is nage lottery TO one priSe 4 tnere
ore many blanks. This 1t is renders the occupation
less generally attractive and accounts for so lew
dlgengl once on q gwen ueld man can reasonably
anticipate that days work will yield an average
mond digger wording steadily on, stands very
good chance or being successful in the long rum ex.
wthstandna one case that M Of Il M three brothers Of
my equaintance, worklng separately but ia oiose
e one a aoa @ 9est
yet II anything, the most perseverIng Of the
three, who never mad less than five na-
worth OF diamonds; the other two nearly e. 900
each, all having had twelve months steady work.
appear to have changed for the better. He has mad
good ma or two Many there arc, am bound to
little by it. Some Of these-n0t, however, ai~ior
obvious reasons, would ail In any undertaking they
%nsseaay SaSs or Unable 20 m an9as 20 20
be the last to come here. Above all, one should
DC persuaded to tnroW up rcmuneraive occupaton
robust and can afford It, pcrseverng, seeking Occu-
patton or determined on trying to better himself
success he WILL at all events have enjoyed pleasant
cruise IN other respects The thorough change Will
do his health no harm (qultc the reverse IN own
case for am as strong again az when left ome,.
aud II his head only be screwed on the right way
he cannot fan TO gam valuable experience, and all
at q moderate outlay. Just now those VINO have
exhausted their own resources can, II OF good char
acter, obtain employment tools aud food, together
with o fair share in the finds they may Individually
make Men coming here require to have their
bump OF determination fairly developed, aud parties
oil tw0 three. or not exceeding four, are found to
work best together. At present native labor is not
very reliable but SUCH as 1t is may occasionally be
picked up at 2ls to 30s. and ratons per month.
some few favored new coners, via Natal therc OBJ
tanned Zuus-by far the PICK OF the native tribes
Living at the fields is by no means out OF the way.
Bread meal varies from 25s 10 45s. per $50 pounds
W pCI pOuuuI, money anu Weight,
according TO the season. Beef and mutton OF prime
quality are brought round to tent (at DE Beers,
by far the pleasantest Of the camps. To my fancyj
daily, The price being Sd. per pound. In fact, most
necessaries, whether IN food or clothing are In
good supply and obtained at reasonable cost. The
hotels and boarding tents only charge 205. 25s.
per week, exclusive OF course, OF liquors. The
scarcity OF water In this dry season Is the great
drawback. Sunday Is the only day on which tub
blng Is general 1t Is not altogether the price (3d.
per bncketh but the distance water has 10 be
fetched which, r You have no native, t5 the DIM.
Guilty. One party, with more money than energy,
Is credited with having tried batn Of soda water.
DO not, however vouch for 1t a5 a fact, though
think 1t very likely to be true bill. Vegetables
are scarce and dear.
Botn light and heavier clothing are required the
summer tne rainy scason) being hot as the
winter Tor dry season. more appropriately Is cold.
II Is now the dry season. anu the DAYS are pleasantly
warm. Once the sun Is down the air Is often In.
tensely cold. Bolsterous winds put stop TO all
outdoor work for several hours occasionally. Nor
do we find some indoor w0rk-writl1g in ones tent,
for instance-at sucn times the pleasancst Occupn-
ton In life. Nor after the rains ana heat set or
say between November and March, the solourn
be so pleasant as now. Fever and dysentery some.
times occur tnen. Still people hang on TO the work
all the year round. THIS shows at any rate that 1t
has something fascinating about It. The lie Is
rough one AT the best, and although
several lady acquaiutances OF mine vow they ENJOY
It, others, fresh RON Europe especially, must be
prepared TO lind every nlng utterly unlike home