St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-08-06


which appears to be mass of blue
and dark colored pebbles of all
shapes, into four different sizes,
which then pass on to the assorters.
1.-THE asserting is done on tables,
then when dry by natives o.
The assorters work with kind of
trowel and their accuracy in detect
ing and separating the diamonds
from the eight different kinds of
mineral formation which reaches
them is almost unerring THE d1a-
mond occurs in all shades of color,
from deep yellow to blue white,
from deep brown to light brown,
and in a great variety of colors,
green, blue, pink, brown, yellow,
orange, pure white and Opaque"
| (2) The most valuable are the pure
white and the deep orange. THE
stones vary in size from that Of
pins head upward, the largest dia-
rnond yet found weighed 42S IL
carats." 1t was cut and exhibited
at the Paris Exhibition, and after
cutting weighed 22S 1-2 carats.
DIAMONDS BY THE BUsHEL.
"After the asserting the diamonds
are sent daily to the general office
under an armed escort, and delivered
to the valuators in charge of the
diamond department. The first
operation is to clean the diamonds
of any extraneous matter by boiling
them in a mixture of nitric and sui
phuric acids. When cleaned they are
carefully assorted again in respect of
size, color and purity" 60 The
room in the De Beers office where
they are then displayed offers a most
striking sight. 1t is lighted by five
large windows, underneath which
runs broad counter covered with
white sheets of paper on which are
laid out Vulnerable glistening heaps
of precious stones of indescribable
variety. In this room is concentra-
ted some sixty thousand carats, the
daily production of the consolidated
mine being about five thousand FIVE
hundred carats when the dia-
m onds have been valued they are
sold Tin parcels) to local buyers, who
represent the leading diamond mer-
chants of Europe.
The size of a parcel varies from a
few thousand to tens of thousands
of carats; in one instance two years
ago nearl V quarter of a million of
carats were sold in one lot to one
buyer" a. The company sustains
a considerable loss annually, estimat-
ed now at from ten to fifteen per
cent, from diamonds being stolen
from the mines by natives and others.
To check this loss extrao ordinary
precautions have been resorted to.
The natives are engaged for period
of three months, during which time
they are confined in a compound sur
rounded by a high wall On return
ing home from their days work they
have to strip off all their clothes,
which they hang on pegs in a shed.
Stark naked they then proceed to
the searching room where their
mouths, their hair, their toes, their
armpits and every portion Of their
bod es are subjected to an elaborate
eXamina ton. White men would
never submit to such process, but
the native sustains the indignity
with cheerful equanimity, consider
ing only the high wages which he
earns. After passing through the
state Of nudity, to their apartments
in the compound, where they find
blankets in which to wrap themselves
for the night. During the evening
the clothes which they have left be-
hind them are carefully and minute
ly searched and are restored to their
owners in the morning.
TO PREVENT THEFTs.
The precautions which are taken
few days before the natives leave the
compound, their engagement being
terminated, to recover diamonds
which they have swallowed are
more easily imagined than described
In addition to these arrangements
law of exceptional vigor Furnishes
with great severity illicit diamond
buying, known in the slang of South
Africa as 1. D. B.-ism. Under this
statute the ordinary presumption Of
law in favor of the accused disap-
pears and an accused person has to
prove his innocence in the dearest
manner instead of the accuser having
to prove his guilt. Sentences are
constantly passed on persons con-
victed of this offence ranging from
five to fifteen years. 1t must be ad-
mitted that this tremendous law
is in thorough conformity with
South African sentiment, which ele-
Yates l. D. B.-ism almost to the level
if not above the level of actual hon.
icide. If a man, walking in the
streets or in the precincts of Kinber-
lev, were to find diamond and were
not Immediately to take it to the
Registrar to restore it to him and to
have the fact of its restoration regis
tered he. would be liable to punish
ment of fifteen years penal servitude
In order to prevent illicit traffic the
quantities of diamonds produced by
the mines are reported to the detec-