The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-25
DIAMOND FIELDS OF DAMARALAND

By r. M. White In Harper's Weekly.
 "HE diamond deposits discovered in
 Dsmaraland. German Southwest
 ! Africa, three years ago. lie among great sand dunes hundreds of feet i1 height, which pass in continual motion across the granite plateau that follows the line of the coast from the Orange river to Walfsch bay. These deposits are pug gle to geologists since their place of ori- gin is mystery. though there seems to be little doubt that they are carried with the sand by the heavy winds that blow from the southwest for 19 hours out of the 2i. The diamonds, which are found mixed with garnets, agates. and other semi!pre cious stones, vary in size from one-fifth to three-quarters of carat They are almost perfect octahedrons, and though small, are of the purest water. An extraordinary feature of this discovery is that the diamonds resem- ble the Brazilian rather than the African stone, although the Orange river, which marks the southern boundary of German Southwest Africa, has it's source among the volcanic cones or diamond pipes
 of the richest diamond mines in the world in and about Kimberley There are no Assures in the many miles of granite floor of the new diamond country through which these particles of crystalized car oon might have been forced up from be- low, and geologists find no suggestion of cones or of what is called "Kimberle7 fcrmation''-nothing, in fact. that will warrant them in giving an opinion as to ihe origin of these travelling gems. The general opinion, nevertheless is that the prevailing southwest winds bring the dia- mouds from the sea, and scientists do not dispute this theory.
 Tie discovery of diamonds in Damara- land so far as the white man is con cerned was first made about 20 miles south of Luderitzbucht, the principal port of German Southwest Africa, whence the government is building railroad across to Keetmanshoop, to connect with the proposed road in British Bech- uanaland that will tap the markets or I-imberiey and Johannesburg. Here a na- tive, who had worked in the diamond mines of Kimberley and had been inn pressed into service by the railroad | builders, on his return home picked up two or three crystals from the sand and | took them to station master with the Information that they were diamonds l The station master ridiculed the idea, but eventually sent the stones to Cape Town, where experts pronounced them to be gems of the purest water.
 l It may safely be asserted that few con
 traband gems have left Damaraland l sin, ,, the povernment assumed control of
 the ieGs. though they were probably
 carried away in great quantities before police supervision became effective. At -.ureitzbucht and Swakopmund, the two ports Of departure, all outgoing travellers are subjected to systematic search. Not
 only do the customs authorities require 1 that passengers baggage be sent to tfc wharf for examination three days before
 the departure of the boat by which he
 sails, bu. thorough search is made of
 his person and clothing before he goes On board.
 So careful are the Germans to prevent
 precious stones being carried away that
 photographer, who was recently leay- | ing l.nderitzbucht with a fve-ounce bot
 tie of salicyate crystals, somewhat re-
 sembling diamonds in the rough, which | he used in developing his plate, was ar
 rested by an igronant official as smus- 1 gler and thrown into jail. lnvesusatio" i showed that his diamonds might pc
 crushed by stepping on them. but ms siip
 had sailed before the discovery was maoe'
 Many travellers are victims or siiiiiial | overzeaousness at Luderitzpucht ana | swakopmund. Last summer Iorn'er mayor of Cape Town, man of the high-
 est standing in South Africa, who had
 hecn on a visit to the diamond fields or
 Damaraland, sailed from Luderitzbucht for his Lome. His ship was scarcely out
 of siaht of land when the customs offi-
 cials ,eceived information. which was, aft 'ssward rroved to be faise' tha' ne haa