The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-14
SOUTH AFRICAN DIAMONDS.

A BRILLIANT LECTURE LAST EVENING BY DIR.
W. j. MORTON.
Dr. William J. Norton OF Boston, delivered u lecture
last evening ut Chickerng Hail. under the auspices OF
tho American Geographical Society, Chief Justice Daily
presiding, upon tho subject Of tho South African da
mond fields aud the journey To the mines, the whole
beng illustrated by maps and sereoptcon views.
Uucring little wonderment at the fact that
Americans paying little attention TO Southern
Africa, since there two sister republics there
hewn out by themselves, the 'Orange Tree Statc aud
tho "wansvaal" tho lecturer gathered his audience
together IN steamers from Europe, tarrcd
awhile at tho islands OF MADEIRA, Ascension
and ST. Helena and landed them safely ut the Cape OF
Good Hope, alter twentysx days passage lie showed
them Cape Town. with It's 80 100 nh 1blans and told
them there three routes from the African coast
10 the diamond mincs-the shortest from Natal the
second IRON Port Elizabeth, the third from Cape Town
direct 10 the mines across the Karoo and
GOuH deserts. He showed the latter to be thing
OF the past The mode oil transit was amusing, but
not Important AS wo have had similar illustrations in
the early experience ol pioneers TO. California
across the pans The lecturer took his hearers up
the DrackenDcrg Mountains through the famous Balm .
koof very steep aud tortuous down into the desert
where there were whitehead skeletons of oxen aud
mules. lie makes his auditors cross the Blood River.
the Wcykeh and the Bitter Water. and finally lands
them ut Hopctown and the rolling Hood oil the mighty
Orange River.
THE DIAMOND YIELDS
As he pioneers his hearers 10 the summit Of q swell
OF ground he shows tnem few miles away what APP
pears 70 DO ow, yellow hill ranges. but which prove
a'er 10 10 i pn eara rom no
passes them over the barrier between the
diamond hclds aud the world, and, 70 be
bre exhibits TO them the position OF the Orange Tree
State, the small western angle OF which consttutes tho
Diamond Fields OF Western Africa. Across mission
Here be diamonds. The natives had long uses
the diamond mechanically for boring other stones and
made periodical visits hither 10 procure their supply
But their modern discovery came about IN this way
certain Jonu ORellly trader and hunter ON MS way
from the INTERIOR reached tho Junction OF the rivers
Dutch farmer named Van Nickerg. The children
were playing on the earth loor with some pretty
pebbles they had found long before in the river one
oil these pebbles attracted 'Keiliys attention. He
said. picking II up, THAT might be u diamond"
Nekcrk laughed, and said he could have It. After
sundry mshaps, ORciliy got II 10 Cape Town, where
II ascertniEod to be diamond OF twenty-five anu
hall carats. 1t was sold Tor SIS 600 subsequently
Nekerk bought from native Tor sheep diamond
when he sold for 500. 000 This was tho famous
s'Slar OF South Africa. Tho natives led
over the ground ana iound many more. The excite.
mcnt grew anu became intense. By 1869 parties Ia
wagons had worked their way over the weary
plains the vaa Rvor. Like the creation OF dream
u tented city OF 10000 and more grew at rruei and
! Kipdrift, on the banks OF the Vaa. Diamonds were
found penufully and of excellent quality by sorting
tinued until 1870 and 1871. Crowds OF people gathered
at Gong Gong, Union kopIe, Coiesberg kopjc, Del
ports Hope. Blue !acke. Foriosn Hope, Walden .
smaller places The last stage IN the journey OF the
river dsglngs was ut Dutvirs Pan. Here In tho sand
small damon DIS were discovered 10 the nd til
piasered the sides Of the proprietor's house Then
the rush to this point The mino proved TO DO
diamondiicrous region of about twenty-three acres.
Forty thousand people in short time built up town
around tins nine "0ld De Beers, small nine
mile away was next discovered, and finally the New
Rush, or Kimberly nine which, the lccturor averrcd
Is undoubtedly the site OF more natural wealth than
any other known spot on the surface OF the globe.
Influences ut work which driving small capt
talsts from the hcld Tho Increasing depth, crumbliDg
reef, nnowing water, last multiplying the ex
penscs OF working. Small propreturships arc becom
Ing merged into largo nggrcgations OF claims, and The
next phase OF diamond niung operations must be thai
oil several large aud competing companies or perhaps
| q single one controlling the whole NINE.
| The political history Of the country furnished
theme OF comment for she lecturer, and, alter vote
thanks, offered by Professor hitchcock, the audenc,
! retired many of them. doubt, 10 dream
diamonds aud brillants and whole stomachers u
gens.'