The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-17

drawn out like wire.
We started back for Pernambuco and
OF 20 days. 1 had cleared more than
expenses, my men costing me only one
milrea apiece per day, equal to so
cents. our money. / did not present
myself at once to the bank. but put
up at a hotel that was quite a resort
for ship masters after being there
about three days and getting rested
and cleaned up from my trip. 1 pre-
sented myself to Gomez q Co., gave
them a brief outline of my trip. told
them that 1 would report favorably for
the reopening of the mine, but thought
that II would be at least a year be-
fore any thing could be done in Brazil.
/ settled my financial matters with
them and thought that l would take
1t easy for while until / made up my
mind what my next move would be.
While enjoying myself a few days
later l was approached by the two
parties who had went to the mine with
me. They said they had something to
show me, but desired secrecy, so told
them to lead on and that I would fol-
low. They led me to the beach. out
of sight of any house or shipping, then
told me that they wanted me to prom
Use that what they told or showed me
did not result in anything that would
keep their secret and tell no one about
1t while in Brazil / tried to get the
nature of their secret, but / could not,
so / promised that unless IL effected
my personal safety that 1 would say
nothing. One of them remained with
me and the other said he was going
to get a jewel to show me. He re-
turned in about Is minutes, accompa-
MED by a large, strapping negro,
slave. The reason that l knew him to
be slave was that he had no foot
wear, not even sandals, as 1t was
against the law for slaves to wear
anything on their feet. He had only
a loin cloth about him. This he I'M
wrapped and, took out of ii rough
diamond, nearly as large as a hazel
nut. The parties told me that he was
one of a gang of slaves that had re-
Surned a few days before us and that
he had secreted this stone and had
agreed to give them half the money for
selling it for him. / examined the
stone. 1t was polished on one end, the
rest covered by sort of matrix. The
parties wanted 500 milreas for 1t.
told them that l was not rich and that
I was not a judge of diamonds. Be
sides, l ran the chance of having Ii
taken away from me at the end of my
voyage; besides being imprisoned for
smuggling. However, they insisted that
should make an offer. so l told them
that / was willing to venture that
much. After consulting with the negro
they concluded to take my offer and
agreed to to meet me that evening and
make the exchange. We returned by
separate routes to the town. / got 800
in small change from the bank and
that evening effected the exchange.
The next day / ordered fine pair or
tan shoes made, and when delivered
took off the outside heel tap and bored
a five-eighths hole into the heel until
/ could feel the prick of the bit upon
the inside, placed my diamond in the
hole, put the leather on again over the
hole so that both shoes looked alike.
would occasionally wear the shoes,
but not walk about much, but sue
ceeded in making them look quite
old.
There was a vessel in port named the
Parano of New York taking in cargo
of vegetables, ivory and Brazil nuts.
This ship had been down to Montevideo
and discharged a cargo of ice and APP
Piles. The captain Informed me that he
had lost his second officer while there
and had put one of his crew to take his.
place, but was not satisfied, so he Of
fered me $50 to act as second officer for
the run to New York. After thinking
awhile / concluded to accept his offer,
so a week later found me bounding
DER the billow on my way home. We
made the voyage in IS days. After
day or two / was paid off, getting, in
stead of $50, $112.5O, gold selling for
$2.12b in greenbacks. l now visited
my brother, who was in business up at
Yorkville. After day or two i asked
him to go down town with me, as l
wished to visit some of the leading
jewellers. He told me that he was ac-
quainted with the firm of Ball, Black
o he laN
firm in New York at that time. so we
went there, and after my brother had
me we were shown into a
private room. / produced my gold dust.
eight ounces and two pennyweights.
He said that they did not often pur-
chase dust. but would take this on &C
count of it's coming from Brazil and
looking so different from ordinary gold
dust. We closed the bargain at SIG per
ounce, no premium being allowed on
account of rust. / then told him that
I had something else to show him and
that Ii was for sale. / showed him my
diamond: told him that IL came from
the same locality that the dust did.
He looked 1t over carefully and said
that / would have to leave ii for at
least a week until 1t was polished
enough to form a rough estimate of its
worth. However, he wished to know
what price / fixed on II, as IL stood
I told him that / wanted $1,000 in gold
or it's equivalent in greenbacks. The
next week my brother and myself
called. The diamond was an exhibit
in a show case. Both ends and sides
had been polished. The rest of the
stone still had the matrix clinging to
II. Mr.. Black told me that they had
decided to purchase ii at my figure
giving me a check on the bank for
s2,025 This finished my Brazilian ad-
venture and on the whole / had no rea-
son to regret my search for the Con
gosco mine.
Richard II. Mitchell.
Stuart, Deer Lodge, County, Mont.