The Beaufort tribune and Port Royal commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1877-1879, 1877-04-12
South African Diamond Fields.

In speaking of the South African dia-
mond fields, lecturer said that el5,-
OOO, 900 worth of diamonds had already
been taken from these diggings. The
diamond mines were discovered by a
traveller, John O'Rielly, who, staying for
night at the house of Dutch farmer,
observed the children playing with some
pebbles. He said "Those might be
diamonds" The farmer, laughing, re-
piled that if they were plenty of them
could be found in the neighborhood.
O'Rielly took one of the pebbles, and
subsequently sold it for So, GOO. A colo
mist then remembered that he had seen
an immense stone of similar description
in the hands of native. He sought out
the man, gave him all his cattle, horses,
and other property for the gem, and
sold it for $50, 900. This diamond after
ward became known throughout the
world as the Star of South Africa.
A seething population was soon upon
the spot. The farmers, despite their
protests, saw their property invaded, and
diamonds of fabulous value, whose worth
they had never suspected, carried away.
Finally the British government adjuci-
Gated all minor disputes by annexing the
entire diamond producing country, and
proclaiming it in an English possession.
It was not long before Kimberly, a city
that has now more than thousand
homes, sprang ito existence.
The lecturer dwelt upon the extraor-
dinarily mixed population of Kimberly,
and especially the wandering tribes OF
negroes who pour into it at the rate OF
$4,000 year. Travelling in parties OF
fifteen or twenty, often over a distance
of a thousand miles, in the course OF
which many of them die of thirst and
starvation, these wanderers enter the
city dusty, footsore, and as thin as
rails. They appropriate eagerly every
article of apparel they can pick up upon
the way; one appears in q hat, without
any further covering; another wears
single boot, unrelieved by other adorn-
ments. The brown legs of some are
seen violently contrasting with the
skirts of a bright red English military
coat, while others are contented to rest
their claims to gentility on the posses
sion of torn paper collar.
Kimberly, however, is by no means
devoid of the luxuries of civilization. 1t
boasts many refined and educated peo-
pie, and the dealers in Cape Town and
Natal reserve their choicest laces and
most expensive goods for the wives and
daughters of the wealthy spectators OF
the diamond city.
The manner of working the mines is
largely done with the hired aid of KAT
frs. These men are expert thieves,
and despite the closest scrutiny, the dia-
monds get into their pipes, their ears,
their mouths, and even their noses.
They can work all day with large peb-
bles between their toes.
Diamonds OF the first quality are very
rare; there is one kind that exhibits a
flaw half an hour after being taken from
the mine, and, if left until morning,
will be found in fragments. Such stones
are usually wrapped in cotton and placed
in oil by the miner until the moment Of
sale. The expenses of working claim
are, exclusive of the original purchase,
about $500 a month; but returns are
rapid, and a man with q capital OF
So, 600 or 81, 900 has an excellent chance
of success