Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-02-15
DIGGING FOR pTAMONps.

A party who were dissatisfied with
the Pniel diggings, went down the
Vaal river about sixteen miles, and
10 a kafir 50 small, that they, eleven
of them worked it exclusively, found
over one hundred diamonds in four
weeks, and one Of los earats, worth
CAS-, 900. 1t is a beauty, octahedron,
and in the interior first water, that Is,
it will cut first water. 1t has two
sides of a yellowish tinge, but this
color does not extend farther than
one-sixteenth part Of an inch beyond
the surface. Moreover, they have
other diamonds TO the value Of e34, 900,
making the whole lind Of four weeks
worth ES0, 900, or nearly four hundred
thOusana dollars in gold. The CORES
pOndent telling this AYERS it to be q
fact, although il has been kept q
secret, and SAYS this is the largest
diamond vet found. Klipt Drift, or
diamond Town, is comparatively de-
serted now, and across the river, at
'Pniel, is the great camp now. This
is in the free state. and gives better
security for peace TO the miners in the
first place, being under q recognized
government; and in the second
place, the eascalhO an alluvium being
deeper, il takes a much longer time to
work out 2 claim on the Pniel side
than on the Kllpt Drift side. On the
Pniel side they have gone down
twenty-three feet since I initiated
them in deep digging. Our company
have taken out diamond a day reg
ularly, but they are small, the largest
six earats. We may strike "bulln
vet, as they call the large diamonds.
One more large diamond Of eighty
eight caratS has just been unearthed
and shipped to England; they say it
is worth e20,0O0. have not seen 1t,
but my friends who have seen il say
It will not bring more than El0, 900 as
it is second water. Diamonds are be-
ing found in the same regular quanti-
ties as hitherto, no diminution of an
average. The numbers OF locations
and people are still increasing, but
there is room for thousands more.
1 would not advise any one to leave
the States and come here If they have
not enough Of money to come here,
outfit for one year, and have money
enough left TO take them home in case
Of failure. Four men with 81 900
cash would form a good company. II
will cost ESQ from New York TO Cape
Town and from Cape Town to the
diamond mines Il. e., Pnfel or klipt
Drift the remarkably low price Of go
100 miles.
Before the diamond fields became a
/ fixed fact the British government
would not take the trouble to take in
/ the land that embraces these fields,
and consequently the Orange Free
State and the Transvaal Republic
took them in, having purchased and
conquered il at different times Now,
since the country has turned out 90
rich, the British Government turns
out and seizes the land, and has
already sent up q civil commissioner
Of magistrate-Mr. Campbell-tO be
backed with bayenets, If necessary
but there will be no likelihood Of this
as the British Government is toe
much feared by those two poor anC
weak republics to dare to oppose
them; aud as a great many Of thu
miners are English, the gOyernmen
has a strong party in its favor at th'
mines. Anyhow, civil commission
er &C the mines will insure peace anC
quiet. The government tax will b.
but ten shillings per month for eaci
lclaim, after all, that the government
should take possession.