Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-13

NS tie expects 10 intro
duce dredges into
certain diamond territory for which he has
concession and he Will raise the diamond
gravel from the bed of the river to the
surface by means of steam engine.
At present the most of the diamonds of
this region are dug by native divers who
scoop up the gravel in sacks and then
carry 1t off to the shore. This is very
costly The best stones have long since
been taken out of the low places Of the
river, and ii is only during the dry sea-
son that any diving can be done. At such
times the divers take a place where the
current Is not too rapid. and drive a pole
down into the center of the river They
then row out TO the pole and one OF them
who is naked dives to the bottom. He
takes a sack with him which is kept
open by a ring sewed in the top. There is
lot of mud or silt on top of the gravel.
The man has TO scrape this off. and then
nj. MS sack with the gravel. removing all
he can down to the clay. As soon as the
sack IS full he signals 10 the man in the
canoe above and is pulled up by rope,
aiding himself with the role
After TWO or three bags have been ernp-
tied into the canoe 1t is rowel to the shore
ana the gravel IS dumped out far enough
away u prevent any loss by the sudden rise
OF the river More gravel IS taken out from
day to day during the dry season and when
the rains begin the stuff IS all washed over
for carhons AMI diamonds
The divers are very expert. Some OF
them can stay under the water for more
than minute. but the labor IS such that
they cannot get out all the gravel nor
work fast. BY machinery the gravel can
all be removed and The deep parts Of the
river which have never been worked can be
mined.
The Diamond Fields of Brazil
Bahia is one Of the chief diamond mar
kets Of Brazil. II is also the chief market
FOR carbons. and II IS the best place in
Brazil To learn about the diamond trade
Brazil was for many years the chief dia-
mond country Of the world. 1t was in 1T27.
IN the province Of Minas Geraes that dia-
monds We're frst discovered. They were
being used there by the negro slaves rs
counters in playing cards. Later on mines
We're discovered in Bahia and for a time
Bahia produced some of the best stones
For years something like million dol
lars worth Of stones were annually pro-
cuCed in Brazil AMI between 1872 and 1918
g mcthtng like 3.ott0sD Carats-weight of
diamonds We're exported. The most Of the
stones We're small, rarely exceeding twenty
Carats. although the Star of the South
discovered in 1874 weighed before cutting
PSI carats. When the South African dia-
mpni neIdS were discovered in 1861 the
Brazilian mines dropped into insignifcancc
At present they do not compare with the
African mines Still diamonds are being
hsthtII tAt every year anu WIN modern
machinery no one can tell what may be
found.
S25.OO0 for n Black stone.
There Is. I believe more money row in
Cartons than IN diamonds. Cartons are i'm
pure diamonds Of black or brown color.
They are about as hard as diamond but
more porous. They are used to make fine
boring machines and for polishing hard
substances They are found IN all sizes
from little ones as big as a grain Of sand
to some which weigh hundreds of carats
A carat is a weight small that 1t takes
more than 100 of them to make one ounce,
troy. Not long ago carbons were selling
FOR $50 a carat and one recently found was
SO large that II brought So 900. This
weighed, am told. 3 600 carats. 1t was sold
in Bahia and sent of to Europe. Another
one discovered more recently weighed 90
carsts. II was sold in Paris for 100000
francs. These large stones have to be
broken This always involves great loss, a.
they have no line Of fracture. SO that in
proportion TO weight the smaller carbons
are more valuable
Mining for diamonds and carbons is like
gambling. Sometimes many bushels of
gravel are washed over before a stone is
found. and often a man may wash for a
whole season and not find more than two
or three The washing IS chiefly done by
negroes. who use wooden bowls. looking the
gravel very carefully over they wash IT.
The divers. rule. do their work naked
although one American proprietor has re-
Gently imported diving suits for his men
In some places the diamonds are found in
the gravel near the river and are washed
down by hydraulic means.
The Gold Mines of Brazil.
We think OF Brazil more as a land of cof-
fee and rubber than gold silver or iron
Parts Of the country are full of metals
This state of Bahia, where I now am has
gold mines, and there are rich mines Of
manganese near here awaiting some one to
develop them In Minas Geraes there is a
gold mine which has been worked for more
than fifty years There are rich gold dig
ingS in MattO Crosse and gold washing goes
on on many Of the tributaries of the Anna
Zon.
Out OF the Ouro do Moro de Togo mines
OF Mtnas Geraes about 20 600 pounds Of gold
were taken before the Independence Of
Brazil, and there is reason 10 believe that
there Is vast amount left. The mines
have never been sunken more than SEVENTH
FIVE feet on account OF the water This
could easily be pumped out. and II done
would probably result IN great profits
The gold mine / spoke OF as having been
worked for fifty years Is the Moro Velho.
II Is one of the most important in Brazil
and Is managed after modern methods. 1t
takes out about 200 tons OF ore q day using
100 California pistons II has five great
stamping mills and II reduces the gold to
bars right .. the spot where It : taken