The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-05-24
Especial Correspondence OF Richmond Dispatch
DIT TolTsrAS DIAMOND FIELDS,t

SOUTH AFRICA, March l9, 1873.
Thinking thata few lines from Richmond
boy III South Africa might prove of some
interest 10 your numerous readers, and thai
| the testimony of an eyewitness and victim
might have the effect Of dcterriur other.
from Se"kin" TO acquire n fortune in this far
| oil country. where all is no, diamond thai
cutters. has induced me to pen these lines.
My friend and companion, Mr. j. FL
Wiley. and |, led on by hamiug articles in
| the papers (>nmc Of wbirh were taken from
Your honorcd slicct) giving accounts of tn,
| fortunes which were daily being made il
| the new f.! Dorado, where glrnctS and enc
| raids stirwcd the ground and prcriou.
| stones were yauclc>, and above all, TIN,
| kim OF gems (the dialnono) could I've had
| for coming. determined that we would visit
| Ibis land of milk and honey. make "A fortune
| return to Old Virginia. marry the girls W,
| left behind us, and settle down for life hui
| alas for tl'tiI hopes, man proposes DC
THE VOYAGE
Well. we left Richmond on the Sth of Ma,
of E>t Year, aud sailed from New York or
the 1lth in the steamship Anglia, of the
Anchor Line, and we soon lost sight of ouI
native land.
am sorry to Fay we had only been out
day when we were very unceremoniously
| called upon by his Majesty Father Neptune
and compelled to cast up accounts, cs pecialy
di>agrcrahle as he did not allow us time &c
cain the lce->ide of the boat. Having been
wur>trd in this encounter, we felt sick. and
retired IT, "ur trrlh>. but in vain. The old
gentleman followed Us lhittltr. We requested
| lie captain to rut Us out. in order 10 walk
| back: put he didn't >,em inclined TO lose
such interesting passengers, 50 we were com.
pcIes TO submit. But we have come to the
conclusion that life on the Ocean Wave
sounds very sweet in parlor, but that
The man who wrote II was green;
He had never been Ia SEA,
Nor ncvera ways had >ecn
In few days we gained our sea legs and
rniuyrd the remainder of the voyage.
On the morning of the sd We made the
Irish coast and sailed into Lorh Foyle. The
Emerald Isle lay before us i'll all lis beauty.
1t IS not surprising that
The lriShnan. wherever he may be-,
Turns with pride to the emerald that sparklcs In
The SET:
for truly il was Il lovely sight. clad in vcr-
dllrc green and nmntied by the early morn
lnr sun. After landing the passengers for
Londonderry we again resumed orr voyage.
We 'ind magnificent sill through The Mort b
l:tnnel and enjoyed Il fine view Of the
tillnt Ca,lScWav and other points of inter
est. About = o'clock. HS the shores Of Ireland
| faded away in the distance. the heather hills
| OF bonnie Scotland hove in sight. and at )
| O'Clock on the morning Of the cath we cast
| anchor in tn" Glasgow docks
| will not attempt 10 give you Il deScrip-
tion OF our stay in the United Kingdom.
| not hayin" started ont with that view, but
| hurry ON to my nlain mcntion--a brief ac-
celut ut ahr diamond fields. Suffice il to say,
wr had the pleasure o! scriuy places made
familiar Ia lis from boyhond by the hands of
Poets and historians. We spent only two
| tavs in London, and of course saw very lit.
| tie of the metropolis, therefore will not al
| tempt an account Of orr impressions, &c.
| We again set sail from southampton on the
| 10th OF June for Capctown. il is only ncceS.
| sary to mention that our voyage was !
pheasant one. the only thing d>a"rccable
being Slight toss up in the bay OF Hisca,
10. We touched ut the islands OF Aladeirt
and st. Helena. and arrived in Capetown on
| the l%,h of July, having been thirty-thret
| days out.
IN CAPETOwS
| the accounts from the fields were anything
| but encouraging; but still our hopes hea'
| high. There were two lines OF passenger
| wagons TO the tcdS-tare. Gl2. We Sc
cured seats in the Inland Transport Conn
! pauy. through the advice of Mr.. Peabody
| an American, of the firm OF g. ;. Holmes x
| Co.. having house also in Boston. Mass
| This gentleman was very kind to lls, is We
understand he ba> been all Americans who
have come in contact with him on their way
| 10 the diamond district, giving any ADVICE vi
| Information required.
The distance from Capctown to the fields
j. between GOO and 700 miles. We made the
trip in >cycn days and Il half. and were oni,
allowed three nights sleep during that time
The first day out we passed Bans kloof. the
only place of interest on the route. Here
tbc scenery was really grand and imposing
but after passing this range OF mountains
the country is one vast plain or desert, eX'
| lcuding to
THE DIAMOND FIELDS.
! immense bouldcrs strew the plains and are
burnt black from the scorchlng rays OF the
sun. Not human being is To be seen eXccpt
| here and thclc at Il stray haDltatlon. Vast
h,,rds of Spring box (t species OF antelope
NAV he seen grazing, and are an easy prey 10
an expert sportsman.
This u,ri of Africa is entirely destitute OF
beasts of prey, in which we were agrecably
Disappointed
4 HEAVY TAIL.
On the second day out, at Il farmhouse,
we had the pleasure of seeing one of tile
r,lriositieS of Africa the Cape sheep. Ihey
urc peculiar from the fact that they nave
enormous tails, weighing as high rs thirty.
five pounds. We had been told OF TINS, Dull
were inclined to think that we had been
mlizzed but we found it TO be stern reality
On the evening Of the Goth OF July we aT'
rived i'm sight of Du SoitSIan dIgSlnSS.
Before Us lay the
CITY OF TENTS,
rrr>cntin" to lis Il novel ana uncoliinoi
sight. 1t had the appearance ot Il lar"c llli'i'
| tary rnrainpm"nt. soon we alighfed IN TIT
| mid>, Of the confusion and hustle OF large
! mining camp.
| There were several hotels. in one of which
| we were suon located. preparatory to pur
chasing tents. &c and becoming miners II
| reality. our ,lrarrangcmcntSw wcrcluickly made
With the advice aud assistance of American
friend, on the fields, we purchased Il claim
NJ = cost of CAS-. and on the morning OF tic
| Isl OF August we struck our hr't pick in d'a
mopditcrou> soil. Our force consisted ol my
| PARTNER and myself and
SIX KAFfIRs.
These latter receive ten shillings week
and are found. This, though appearing
small. is enormous wages for these natives
| R,fore the diamond fields were opened 10