Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-02-08
,,urn of a Diamond Hunter from
the Fields of South Africa.

rouxC. BURNS, detective of Buffalo,
b ~ York, yesterday arrived here, ac-
e 0mnanied by his brother, Mr.. William
!. rms who spent fourteen months in the
, ;amond mines of South Africa. The
antlemen together called at the Central
n oIce Station, where the unusual fire and
.;iancv of large solitaire diamond,
/, Urn by the younger, was remarked upon.
d T. BURNS replied that, although not as
roe as others found by MIN, he thought
he purest in the lot. His hearers were
aturally curious to learn where the dia
4 ,onds were procured, and Mr.. b. kindly
i rnished the particulars of his visit and
be manner of working the mines. The
! ;amonds were first discovered on the
tall River by the natives, but the Doors,
Hollanders, living in Africa, quickly
b,rned their attention to it and left their
, arms to search for the Jewels. The Eng
Esh and Americans fiocked to the fields in
srre numbers, and there are at present
Ibout 80, 600 people engaged in the search.
he diamonds found in the neighborhood
the river were generally of finer quail
tv than those procured at the more new
discovered fields 100 or $50 miles in
and, although nearly ten are found in the
inland fields to one that is procured on the
liver bank.
Mr.. Burns arrived at the river and was
nreparing to go to work, when he heard
4 the discovery of richer fields inland,
Ind, after visiting two or three places,
fnally secured claim and commenced
Dperatons. He employed from three to
i've men, mostly natives, all the time,
and worked ten weeks without finding a
single diamond At the end of that time
pe discovered one weighing about half
rsrat, and the following day found one
till smaller. Although almost dishcart
med by his continued ill-luck, he perse-
kered, and was soon after rewarded by
Ending stone weighing in the rough,
bout ten carats. From that time he be-
came unusually successful, and, after
working to the end of the season, return
Id with a pocket full of the precious
ktones. Among the number was one
which alone weighed over forty carats,
and which he sold in London for 81, $50.
he afterward ascertained that, had he
had it cut, polished, and set, and brought
to this country, he might have sold it
for nearly double that amount.
Diamonds are occasionally, though not
bitten, found on the surface OF the earth.
The soil is sandy, or covered by layer
# rather coarse gravel. The claims are
taxed out, and tax of ten shillings
month paid the Government for the privi-
Iege Of working them. After digging
about four feet, the diamond seeker usu-
Eallv finds layer of lime, or something
&closely resembling it, which, when first
.Nexposed to the air. is as hard as rock, and
Mr.. Burns states that he and his men
once worked three days to get through a
|xSein of it. The vein is usually about
Ihree or four feet in thickness, but after
being exposed to the air or the action OF
water, crumbles and is easily removed.
Beneath it lies a bed of red gravel, from
bne to two feet in thickness, in which
majority of the diamonds are found al
hough some large and unusully fine ones
nre OCCASIONALLY taken out of the soil be-
ow Rabies, garnets, and a greenish stone
closely resembling the emerald are also
Hound in profusion in the red grave, but are
valueless, from the fact that they appear to
have been subjected to some intense heat,
which has scorched and cracked them, so
that although large ones are sometimes
taken out they may be rolled between the
hands and broken to pieces. The dia-
monds are neither incrusted with dirt nor
surrounded by stone when found, as many
persons appear to believe, but come out
lSHJ duu tiCuI % dIoPo vi ""'Si' 49,
though they are, of course, rough and
unpublished, they flash and glitter in the
sunlight with all the brilliancy of a crys-
tai. The best of order prevails in the set
Elements at the several diamond fields, and
Mr. Burns states that, during the whole
of his soiourn, he heard of but two rob-
berries being committed, and in both in
stances the victims, when stupihed by
drink, were plundered of the diamonds
in their pockets by the natives. The Doors
are quiet and good citizens, respecting the
laws of God and man, and keeping the
Sabbath day holy. No work is done in
the fields on that day, but religious servi-
ces are held in large tents erected for that
purpose The natives are quiet and in
dustrious. working diligently in the
fields for rather small wages. The dla'
monds found by them are delivered to
their employers, and never concealed, as
the natives are unable to sell: them. Any
white man in settlement who purchases
diamond of a native is expelled from
the settlement after having his head
shaved
Mr.. Burns says that but comparatively
few of the diamond hunters are success
full Although many have made immense
fortunes in the fields, and many others
nave made equally large amounts III puy
ing jewels at the mines and disposing OF
them in London, the majority make little
more than living. He saw one boy who
found stone nearly as large as a small
hickory nut, which he exchanged to
trader for 10 oxen, wagon, 200 sheep,
and e20O in money. The trader refused to
tell what he afterward got tor the dla-
mond, put it was probably several hun
bred thousand dollars.
Another young fellow found diamond
weighing in the rough over 100 carats,,
which he sold for comparative smal
price. The jewel was afterwards sent TO
London, where it brought f16O,OOo. The
stone was nearly perfect in shape, OF un-
usual brilliancy, and pure white
Mr.. Burns expenses, including MS
passage, going and returning, the wages
Of his men, and the cost OF living,
amounted to but 500 month, or 3, 4oo
Tor the entire time he was absent. lie re-
turned in comfortable circumstances. ne
apparently 26 or 90 years OF age-o'.
Louis Democrat, Jan. ID.