The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-03-06
Tho African Diamond EieThs---6arnsts
Lying Aronnd Loosc---Vaiuatdon OF
Diarnoodn--.wE.at a BOY Found.

Lying Aronnd Loosc---Valuatdon OF
Diarnonds--wk.at a Boy Found.
Correspondence OF fhc New York Evening Post.
~ 1t Is rather amusing TO us in the diamond
regions OF South Africa TO read the accounts
in the American papers OF the diamond coun-
try. Most writer's on this subject in Ameri-
can newspapers have either heard or dreamed
Of what they tell.
The stones found here have long been
known to some merchant, who espied them
shining on the bodies Of naked savages, and
asccrtaining where they found them, mono-
p ,lizcd the trade, until one unlucky day a
white child found one of the stones, and
The news suddenly burst upon the world.
The place where diamonds are found is
large district Of country belonging to Dutch
Bocr farmers and native tribes. The "d dia-
mond-growin3 country is ascertained by the
existence Of great quantities of garncts on the
surface, which are thrown away, although in
civilized lands garnetS are used in jewe,ry.
These beautiful large stones are thrown
about rs worthless. Find garnets and you
will find diamonds. The diamond region
extends many miles in various directions, and
new fields are being constantly discovered.
In one region, however, on the TaaI river,
the diamond-scekcrs have congrcgated and
have built cities of tents, which are gradu-
ally giving place to houses. Shops are nu-
mcrous; clothing and provisions cheap.
Water in some places has been scarce, but
there are wells digging from which water can
be drawn at the rate of six pence Nnglish
moncy) o bucket, paid to the company who
dug the well. Even for the oxen water must
be bought.
at first the largest companies OF diggers
were at place OH the Vaal river, and there,
of course, water was plenty. The gravel
was carted to the river to be washed, and the
diamonds washed out from among the stones.
| The pebbles, by the way. are beautiful, each
one peculiar to itself. They are set in pen-
ellis and seal rings. At present the fields on
the river are nearly abandoned, the most
| popular place being nat called "Du Tots
Pam" where the diamonds are separated by
sieyes and sorted on tables, instead of being
| washed out, as on the river. There are col
ected thousands of people, who live in tents
| and spend their days digging in the earth.
About two miles away il De Beers Farm,
which il now rival in size and richness to
| :'Du Toit's Pan"
| The land i. divided into small plots, or
"lots." as we would cay III America. The
Bocrs say er1cn and the diggers say claims.
Each claim is about fifteen feet square.
| Originally two pound, would buy claim,
| but now the price has risen to five hundred
| pounds. When . man works we'll the al
! lowancc is about one white man and three
| blacks to each claim. Some dig some sift
and sort the stones for diamonds. These are
found of all sizes, from those as large as a
! pins head up to some larger than the
| koh-i-noor. Some diamonds are clear
and brilliant, some are opaque, and
some yellowish. For the latter the
people of India give good price.
and wear them in their belts and turbans.
These yellow, or "off-color," stones do net
| sell well in the markets of civilized nations.
Sometimes one sees black diamonds. Some
Of them arc beautifully regular, as if cut
others seem to be fragments, as if broken
from large stones; and others are round.
At De Beers place some persons find stones
every day, even as many rs dozen IN da!
and soon become rich if they happen to find
stones cloar and without flaws. Many, how.
ever, have found nothing, and 60 away
poorer than they came.
The value Of diamonds is aseertained on
the fields in the following manner: The
weight Of good stone is squared and null
| tplicd by two, the result being its value in
pounds sterling. For instance, If stone
weighs four cuats we have: 4N4-16 :
| htltlc Oh ltC StolV, Io-. Ii, tii'i
| fore, IA man lu,s Il good stone, and has lit
weight, he knows just what it is worth.
Diamonds cannot be cut here, of course;
| most of them arc taken to- Holland. Brokers
| are here, of course, to deal in diamonds.
| Rogucs are here to knock one down and rob
him, and other ro.ues to rob him without
| knocking him down. Still. as q whole, the
place is orderly and respectable.
People come here by way Of Cape Town
or Natal, generally, in wagons drawn by
oxen. They live in the wagons and in tents,
and hire natives at about Gl a month to
work for them. The camp is at little distance
from the field. Employers and employed
spend the day in digging, carting, &c, going
back TO their tents at sunset. The smaller
diamonds are, as rule, found near the sur
face the larger ones below. a miner digs
down about forty feet, not ofton deeper.
Accidents are becoming rather common by
the talling-;u Of the walls Of these Claims a.
ter they have been dug to that depth The
route to the place is by steamer to England,
thence by steamer to Algoa Bay, and by
"omnibus" to the digging>. If Americans
but knew how easy OF access the place
is, and what chance there il to
make money, they would come in
thron.s; and for those who have mo-
ncy it is a tempting place for spccula-
ton. There are marvellous (and true) tales
Of poor men, who came on foot, with nothing
but spade, turning up stone or stones
worth thousands, and went home rich. Such
cases are numerous. One poor boy walked a
thousand miles to get to the fields; in week
he sent his old mother check fora thousand
pounds, was favored by fortune, and has
since gone home rich.
1 like to tell of these things, because the
idea seems to prevail in America that it is
! al, hoax, and that even if diamonds are
found they are worthless. Of course, it is
policy in Englishmcn-t to keep Americans
away, and, as far as possible, make them be-
iieyo sit is naught." They know they have
a poor chance with the Yankee workmen,
and SO wish them to believe that it is all a
"humbuy." 1t is difficult to send our dia-
: monds home because Of the high duty i'm
posed by the American Government, and the
stones cannot be cut in America. Still, il
the Americans knew the true circumstances,
they would not lose the chance to try their
fortunes in these " "diggings."
| . A YANKEE In SOUTH AFRIcA.
| = MEEFENGS.