The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-03
THE SOUTH AFRICAN mHAFa0NHs
FIELDS,
How the Diamonds are First Found-A
Lucky EsOers
Annti

The modern discovery Of diamonds came
about in this wise: In 1867 8 certain John
VRelly,. trader and hunter, on,his way from
the interior OF Africa, reached the junction OF
the night at the farm Of q Dutch farmer
named Niekerk. The children were playing
on the earth floor with some pretty pebbles
they had found long before in the river. One
Of these pebbles attracted O'Reilly's atten~
q diamond" Niekerk laughed, and said be
could have it; it was no diamond; If it was,
there were plenty. around there. However,
his idea, and said that if Niekerk didn't
object, he would take it down with
him to Cape Town and SEQ what it
was, and il 1t proved to be of value
he would give him half the proceeds. On the
way down, q long journey, he stopped at
Colesburg, at the hotel, and showed the peb~
bic, scratching with 1t d pane OF glass. His
friends iaughingiy scratched glass with C.
gun-flint, and threw the pebble out Of the win
himself. However, O'Reilly persevered, got
it to DR.. AtherstOne, near the coast. who an
nounced that it was In truth % diamond OF
tWenty-tW and q half carats: 1t was sold for
$1,000; ! am glad to say that O'Reilly di-
membered that he had seen an immense Stone
in the hands Of q Kaf1ir witch doctor, who
used it in his incantations. He found the
fetish man; gave him 500 sheep, horses, and
day to an experienced diamond buyer for
$50, 900. This was the famous "Star Of
South. Africa" 1t weighed eighty three and
q half carats in the rough, and was found
to be 81 gem quite the rival OF any Indian
stone in purity and brilIiance. After it had
been cut It was bought by the Earl of Dudley,
and it is now known as the Dudley dia-
mond. The natives crawled over the ground
and found many more, and the excitement,
grew and became intense. By 1869 parties in
ox-Wagons had worked their way over the
weary plains to the Vaal river. From ALI
people sWarLned, and soon, like the creation
OF dream ID tented city Of $1,000 and more
grew at PnieL and Kfipdrift the opposite
banks OF the stream, where diam onds were
found plentifully and OF excellent quality by
sorting over the bolder-drift. Soon hundreds
Of cradles, like those used by the Australian
gold-diggers, were rocking on the edge Of the
stream, supplied with the precious gravel by
a large force Of diggers, sievers, and car
riers People were thunderstruck at their
success. Poor men with g. turn Of the hand
became rich. Hotels, bakeries, brewerieg,
drinking saloons and shops we're erected, and
reaped rewards quite as large as did the Dig
gers. It was marvellous scene at night.
when the opposite camps were lit up with the
warm glow Of lights shining through the
tent-clOth buildings and the brilliant camp
fires OF their 10000 inhabitants glnted across
the water, from bank to bank. Far into the
night were kept up the shouts and laughter,
crossing Of the boats. The excited crowds
shifted their quarters up and down the river.
making new discoveries during 1870 and 1871,
over an area Of from forty to fifty miles OF
the stream and forming many camps such as
Gong Gong, Union Kopie, Coie8berg Kopje.
Waldeks Plant, Larkin's Flat and Niekerk'g
Hope.