Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-26
Hunt for Diamonds
800 On African Beach
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Star.
LONDON. August 16, 1905
- INCE the departure OF the steamer
Xema from London the other day
on a diamond seeking expedition,
~ some further particulars have come
to light which lend additional inter-
est to what is undoubtedly one Of the most
romantic quests Of modern times. While her
precise destination is still kept profound
secret, it Is known 1t Is somewhere on the
African coaster on an island of the coast
that it is expected the costly gems will be
found.
The origin Of the venture is soon told. Not
long ago a ship was wrecked in a position
which Is admitted to be eastward of the
dark continent. From this wreck one mar
liner escaped with his life. He was ultl-
mately brought back to civilization, carry
ing with him some dingy-looking pebbles
which he said he had picked up On the
beach where his ship had been wrecked and
had preserved as souvenirs OF his perilous
adventure. These, 1t is said, were found on
examination to be diamonds, and were es-
timated to be worth something like $S,OO0.
Whatever they were, and whatever their
value 1t is certain that the story the sailor
told. wildly improbable as 1t may seem. OF
q beach where diamonds can be picked up
like pebbles, and the evidence he brought
forward to substantiate 1t, made such an
impression on those who heard him that
syndicate was formed to finance an exped1-
ton to find the treasure spot. The sailor,
meanwhile. was sworn to secrecy and spir-
tied away where nobody could get at him to
pump him.
The capital of the syndicate is 5000.
divided into twenty-five $4,000 shares. The
amount was over-subscribed. The Xema.
which was chartered for the expedition, is
over thirty years old and of no great engine
power. That alone furnishes good reason
why her precise destination should be kept
secret even after her departure. for were it
discovered there would be nothing to pre-
vent a rival expedition being. dispatched in
haste in a swift steamer which might be OF
the diamond-strewn beach before the an
cient Xema had doubled the Cape of Good
Hope. But though slow old craft she has
been fitted out most luxuriously for the
voyage, so that whether they succeed or
fail in their search the diamond-seekers are
assured of good time. The fact. however,
that the ship carried explosives, mining APP
paratus and several miners would seem to
indicate that they are not sure they will
find 1t such easy work obtaining the dia-
montls as would be inferred from the SAIL
or's yarn.
~
All told there are forty-six men on the
Xema. She Is commanded by Capt. n. J.
Temperley Grey, late OF the British war
ship Spartan. Several others Of her officers
are reservists, as are also a score Of her
crew. Among the members of the expedi-
ton Is Capt. jackson. who took part in the
famous son-Harmsworth expedition to
the north pole in the old whaler Wind
ward. and several aristocratic adventures.
The shfpwrecked mariner was not on board
when the vessel sailed from London. He
will be picked up at some port en- route.
The Xema belongs to Earl Fitzwilliam
He purchased her at the time he was plan
ming an expedition to Cocos Island In search
Of buried piratical plumber. Ultimately he
decided that he needed larger and speed
fer craft, and bought an old Castle liner.
which he rechristened the VeroniQue. The
expedition, as everybody knows. turned ont
disastrously It cost the earl lot OF
money, and that may. be the reason why he
is not among the shareholders In this dia-
mond venture. though IL SUCCESSFUL, 1T
promises much richer reward than could