The Dickinson press., 1888-08-11
DIAMONDS IN zULULAND.
Mining for Precious Stones In South
Arrica-With Tub mud Sicyc.

Mining for Precious Stones In South
Africa-With Tub and Sieve.
Diamonds arc mostly found in a hard,
blush green rock, which has to he blasted.
The debris OF Il blast may possess n Kohl
moor, and it must be looked for. The blue
ground is sent up from the mine i'll iron
buckets and is taken to II plot of ground
rented for the purpose called IL lepositins
floor, and after being dumped down in heaps
is spread out on the ground i'll large coarse
Jumps. just as it leaves the pick and shovel
OF the miner. Water is then literally poured
over it and it is left for WI or three days to
the action of the atmosphere: ut the end of
that time it loses its rock like appearance
and shows itself to be n conSlomerate of peb-
bles. ironstone and carbon. 1t is then thrown
against coarse Stoves to separate the larger
stones, which are flung aside, and is after
ward taken to the washing machine.
This consists of n circular iron tub. rather
shallow and some 10 or IL feet in diameter,
i'll which are fixed from the center six OF
eight rakes, with long teeth six inches apar:.
which are kept perpctually revolving by u
small steam engine, or by n whim worked by
horses or mules. Water is kept flowing into
the tub through one opening as the diamond
ferrous soil is worked in through another.
The revolution of the lukes causes n thorough
d~lsintcgration of the stuff. the lighter lor-
ton of which is forced over the upper edge.
carried away by the engine and thrown on
the refuse heap. After sixty or eighty loads
have been passed through the machine, tile
rakes are lifted up and the contents of the
box carefully taken out. 1t will lc at once
understood that only the hcavics: portions of
the precious soil, AMI Hlerefor. the diamorfH,
II there are ANY, ave been left in the ma
chine. the lighter parts having been washed
over the upper edge of the box.
When taken out, the residue, which con-
.lsts OF nothing but heavy ironstonc and car
bon i'll a pure state and crystals of various
hues, is carefully sifted through Stoves of DIFF
ferent degrees of finencsS. sometimes placed
one under the olher in cradle and thoroughly
rocked. Then, when every trace of foreign
matter has been carefully removed. Il lex
ferrous turn of the hand, as the sieve with its
contents is held in a tub of water, brings tho
diamonds, GarnetS and the heavier humps of
ironstone into a little heap i'll the very cen
ter, so that when the sieve is reversed on the
common pine sorting table they lie together.
The white alum like appearance of the rough
diamond contrasts strongly with the rich
hued garnets will which the surrounding
blackness of carbon and ironstone is studded.
1t is only by practice that one is enabled to
tell at sight what is Il diamond: u sieve NAV
to all appearances be full of them; but they
are only probably crystals which could easily
be detected from diamonds by taking one
between the teeth; the diamond resists tl,cil.
action, but the crystal crumbles away
Thousands upon thousands of garnets most
exquisite i'll color are found in every s%icveful,
but they are thrown aside contemptuously,
being almost valuelcss.-Globc-D Democrat
Book Review.