Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-12-23
THE DIAMOND FIELDS OF S0urru
AFRICA

The Diamond Fields of South Africa discoy-
cred by the merest chance upwards of two wears
ago, are at last beginning 70 attract the atten-
ton they fully deserve. This discovery, destined
TO date as an important epoch in the wonderful
events OF the present century a. the gold discov-
cries in California and Australia, will lead to
the rapid settlement and development of the
southern portion of that great continent so long
known and Yet so little understood With cIi2
mates, soils and productions varied and SINH
lar to those OF California, its progress OF settle
ment and development hitherto, owing to many
recently discovered countries, and the meager
information derived from missionary reports
lion hunters exploits, and truthful travellers
tales, backed by blue-boOk accounts of Carr
wars, has not tended to induce a very extended
emigration i'm that direction.
But ROW comes the Diamond discoveries and
small as the =" rush, Qf worthy of the name,)
has been as yet, still il has exercised a tails
manic influence already upon the prospects of
the English Colonies and Dutch Republics of
south Africa, and their great future can only
be family predicted. Who has ever heard of the
Orange Free State and The Trans Vaal Repub-
lie. and the Vaal River? and vet il is safe TO
prophesy that in a few years these names, unless
merged into the more comprehensive one of
az The United States of South Africa" will
become As familiar as household words.
The Diamondiferous region of South Africa,
which less than twelve month ago was sun
posed to be confined TO the few then worked To-
cations On the ' aal pronounced all and sisni-
flying tawny or muddy river, which lies between
latitude rs to 30 south, and longitude @ to 80 east
is now believed to extend over an area of $50 O00
square miles, or nearly as large as the whole
state of California, and is comprised almost en-
tirely within the limits of the two Dutch repub-
lies. Diggings or fields now located along the
Naal river 80 miles, and will probably reach
into the Drackonberg range, and dry diggings
are daily being discovered many miles north and
south OF the Naal and its tributaries and upon
the great Orange river and its tributaries
The geological structure of the Diamond
Iferous region is the same that of the
Table Mountain range of California; the soil
being ferruginous, garnetiferous, auriferous
and calcareous, the surface indications being
almost invariably garnets, agates and quartz.
Like the same range in California, the Table
Mountain range Of South Africa is clearly Of
volcanic origin, presenting the appearance of an
upheayal with former river beds and pebbly
strata intermixed with large boulders of meta
morphic rock and volcanic tufa and scorrB
The diamonds are found in the wash from this
range, which fills the "pans" or basins, and
forms the Kopjies or billy banks OF the present
streams. The elevation of the range is between
1900 and 5000 feet above the level of the sea,
while that of the Drackenterg. corresponding
with the Sierra Nevada mountains of Caifornis,
is from Z 600 to 10000 feet above the sea level
The population in the various fields compris-
ing uiel, (the location of the first discoyeries)
Klipdrift, Hebron, Caywood's Hope, Gong
Gong, Spence's Kop, Moonlight Liversage and
a number OF other localities on the Vaal river,
and Du Toit's Pan, De Beers, Vessels, Built
f0Btein, Acknowledgement and other dry dig
gings, was in July last, about Is 900, the MAORI
" of whom were Dutch Beers (farmersl and
their families, several thousand English and
various native tribes, a few Australians, only
40 Americans lone half of whom were CalIfor-
nlans,) Malays, Hindus, and one Chnaman.
Native labor Is readily procured at IS cents per
diem, or 50 cents and rations. The Fields over
which the governments in which they are 10
Gated exercise jurisdiction, are subdivided into
claims" OF 30 feet square, and leased 70 the
diggers at $3.50 license per month, no restric-
ton being made as to the number of claims
worked, so that the monthly license is paid for
each claim. The revenue derived from this
source is devoted to the maintenance fthe ma
gistracy and police force in the Fields, and good
order is preserved. No more orderly commune
ty can be found in any mining country, gam
bling houses are unknown, revolvers are at a
discount, and the Sabbath is religiously and de-
corously observed.
The "Finds" have been wonderful; a fortune
rewarding in many instances the finder of a fine
stone, very many diamonds ranging from five
to fifty carats in weight, and numerous larger
The largest, as yet found, weighed respectively
101, 12a, 1SI, and 1874 carats. Once it was custo-
mary TO '.shout," when q stone Of or 10 carats
considered worthy Of such public announce
ment Several millions of dollars worth OF dia-
monds have already been exported, besides the
great number that must have been carried away
The diamonds Of South Africa are pronounced
by competent judges TO be superior 10 those OF
None have a. yet been found in matrix As in
Brazil. and many are set and worn In the rough
state a. specimen stones, being perfectly octa-
quire cutting. The deepest digging thus far,
have not been more than forty to fifty feet, and
many OF the best finds have been ON the surface
soil, or few inches beneath it. The Dutch,
who being in the majority At the fields, have
proportionately made the largest finds, make no
fuss over their good luck. rarely IL ever betray-
found . 70 carat stone, took her good fortune %
quietly that 1t seemed TO surprise even herself,
80 to do justice to the OCCASION she, while sitting
ut the sorting" table, sorting away IL nothing
unusual had happened, consoled herself with an
occasional glance ut the diamond, and then
hummed in q scarcely audible voice, "Oh,
that'Il be joyful, Oh, that1l be joyful!"
The washing machines are very similar In
construction and operation TO the old-fazhioned
gold-rocker or cradle, with this difference, that
you save the pebbles In the hopper, and let the
hne dirt, and sand, and iron pyrites 60. The
carefully looked over for any diamonds that NAV
have escaped the observation Of the man 1T the
rocker. The table Is the lazy or easy berth, and
where family is engaged In working claim.
the sor ing Is generally done by one Of the women
folks or children The first q hnd' teaches the
whole story and no mistake Ii made thereafter
between genuine diamond and bitof crystal
quartz. more hau A RolI digger would