The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-01-11
The South African Diamond Fields.

Intelligence from the diamond
ields tends to show that their rich
less and extent can scarcely be ex-
,gcratcd. The finds are continuous
and numerous beyond precedent
and the proportion Of large stones
from 70 TO Is carats--seem to
increase. "a fortnight ago." says
the Standard and Mail of September
3, "wc should have pronounced
DcBeer's the richest Of all the fields
a month ago our verdict would have
been in favor of Du Toits Pan; and
there is no doubt that both arc won
derfully productive. But 1t seems
that there is a New Rush which
cclipscS both in diamond fertility.
People become rich there IN the
morning, and turn out their fifteen
or twenty stones Of various sizes be-
fore midday dinner. Meanwhile,
everything is peaceful and orderly,
and life and property appear to be
as safe in that part of the world as
they are in this city. There Is a ru-
NOR, indeed, Of some of the Griquas
wishing to get rid of W%aterbocr as
their chief and substituting some
rayoritc in his stead, but nobody
needs what is said; the Griquas
arc not warlikc, ind the diggcrs
are quite stroug enough to keep
them in ordr if they attempted to
kick up Il row. Three British magis-
tmtcs, with their stalls, will shortly
be stationed in the field" The
Burghcrdsdrop Gazette states that
the find of n ia carat Diamond,
which had been hitherto doubted,
has been confirmed. A gentleman
who had it in his hand says it IL
without II flaw, and of good color,
but pcar-shapcd. II was found by a
man looking very much like u navy.
lie had an offer Of 100000, which he
declined. The Standard and Mail
SAYS that the Inland Transport Com
pany was scarcely able to meet the
demands upon it by passengers to the
diamond fields, and it was necessary,
in order to obtain Il berth, that appli-
cation should be made a fortnight or
three weeks in advance Of the day
fixed for the departures of the
wagon -LOadOn Times.
A letter from Du Tots Pan, july
y, to the Ioudon Times, says:
"1hc Bultlonlcin diggings abut
almost on to those Of Du Toit's Pan,
DcBccr's, the third, being distant
two miles only, All three, in fact,
are adjacent each TO the other, and on
them are C~ongrcgatCd 10000 whites,
mcn, women and chiIdrcuD with
their native servants. Nearly all
live under canvass many in their
wagons, which arc cemmodious, and
answer all the purposes Of eating and
sleeping room. Stores and hotels arr
p bniIl of iron alone, or wood witt
iron roof, and being numerous, the
whole forms u curious and Interest
+ ing s,ght AS seen in the bright sun
e., light. There is nothing else like il
in south Africa, if in the world cor
tainIy nothing else like il exist any.
where connected with the search o
diamonds. These diggings are tal
removed from amy river, the work
bciu9 confined to dry siItinGs. AT
present they are found largely to a
depth Of H. feet or even more. Thi-
morning a stone Of ia was uhcarth-
=, cd, propAbly, not worth more, how
every, ON tIIr'spot than 1000, being
/ Of very irregular shape.
, "Thc other diggings are all within
clrtllinG distance of water, nearly
= alI ON the YaaI River, which will be
/ found ON the maps rs forming a juno
70 ton with Orange River in abou
lat. - % N, long, u 10 f., all on sol
% claimed by the Free State aud Soutl
, African Republics. In all, some
= seventeen rich pots have been work
cd with varying success, but are all
being gradually deserted for the
nriuhbOrlloOd Of Du TOit's Pan
where the work il much lighter,
Later reports are COnli"matOry OF
what praccdcs, large finds continuing
to be made daily. Justas | embarked
at Cape Town, ON the 9TH of Scptem.
Der, my friend Mr.. Ross showed me
advlccs he had that day received OF
II diamond nincty.carats, II fifty
carats, and several small ones having
been found in the Victoria District,
about 100 miles from Hope Town,
on the Orange River. This being
in the Cape Colony proper, largely
extends the line on which diamonds
exist. These are the first finds worth
mentioning that have been reported
so far down as the Orange River
My son, writing from Dcl}ccr's, re-
ports "A new rush there the day after
| left which has yielded handsomely