The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-14
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an his ask with the gravel. removing all
he can down 10 the clay. Az soon rs thu
sack Is full he signals to the man In the
canoe above and il pulled by rope, aiding
himself with the pole.
After two or three bags have been emp
tied into ths canoe 1t In rowed to the
shore and the gravel Is dumped out Tar
enough away to prevent any loss by the
sudden rise or the river. More gravel 10
Nken out from day TO day during the dry
tnspn, and when the rains begin the stun
= III washed over for cafbons and dia-
neads
The divers are very expert. Some of
tAem can stay under the water for more
than minute. but the labor Ii such that
hey cannot get cut all the grave. nor
work fast. BY machinery the gravel can
~ be removed and the deep parts OF tho
river, which have never been worked. can
b mined.
The Diamond Fields Of nrastl.
Bahia In ono OF the chief diamond mar
kfts OF Brazil. It IN also the chief mar
Ret for carbons. and II Is the best place
N Brazil 20 learn about the diamond
trade. Brazil was for many years The
chief diamond country Of the world. II
vas In III. In the province Of Mlnax Gee
Aes. that diamonds were flrst discovered.
They were being used there by the negro
on mines were 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-
0uced In Brasil. ana between Ira and ISIS
something IKE 100000 carats-wetght OK
0iAmonds were exported. The most OF the
stones were small rarely exceeding twenty
cara;s. although the star OF the South"
in Aasl bat
"a carats when the South African dia-
mond fields were discovered. IN 1851. the
BRAZILIAN mines dropped into inssgnih-
canoe. At present they do not compare
with the African mines sim, diamonds
are being taken out every year. and with
modern machinery no enc can tell what
may he found.
a2S.OOO For y Mack stone.
There II, believe. more money now IN
CARTONS than I'm diamonds. Cartons are
impure diamonds OF q black or brown
color They are about as hard ~ dia-
mond. but mors porouR They are ueed
Tor making fine boring machines ard for
polishing hard substances. They are
found ia all sizes from little ones IA big
"a grain OF sand 40 some which weigh
hundreds Of earata carat Is a weight
% small that IL takes mere than ieN of
them "a make one ounce troy No. long
AGO oarhons were selling FOR 50 carat,
AMI one recently Hpuni was so large tina.
u brought s9asa ThsS weighed I am
told. 2se carats. II was said tn Rahsa
and sent Oft 20 Europe. Another one dis
covered more recently weighed sEs csrats.
x was sold IN Paris FOR i6oo francs.
Tasse large stones have To I've broken This
always involves great loss. az they have
no line Of fracture. 50 that IN proportion
TO wight she smaller carhoGs are more
valuable
Mining FOR diamonds and eartsons T. like
eamsling Sometimes many bushels ~
sNvel are washed over before a e.cas r.
FOUND and often mar nay wash for =
whole season ana not and more than two
or three. The washing Is chiefly done by
negroes Who use wooden bowls. looking
the gravel very carefully over a. they
wash e. TIE divers, as rule. do their
work naked although ore American pro
rrie,ov has recently imported diving SUITS
Tor has men In sorse places the diamonds
are found Ia the gravel near the river ana
are mashed down by hydraulic means
The Geld Ntnes oS hrasil.
We ,hlnk Q. praxsi more as lant o,
coffee ana rubber than gold. silver or
i-on Parts OF the country arr fan %
metals. Th.s state 90 Bahia. where
nov aw. has gold rfines. and there are
fscA rsisrs az manganese near here await
fns someone 10 develop saem- In AiaAs
Ueraes there ia = sola rnine which has
been worked fer more than any ycare.
There ara rich gold ttGginGs tn Matte
HrosSc, and gold washing goes on on
many - the tributaries 81 the Arnsxea,
as, ~ tAs oGra So MERE de Fcxa IA lies
- MlnSs GerssS aAou, -assA pounds ~ sold
Hsrs isksn before the .asclea9sncs q