The farmer and mechanic., 1915-10-19


shoftlE atter DR.. Derby came to Brazil I
that he concluded 10 Get the 1n.-taorjf.. .
TO Rio de Janeiro. \ railroad had +
oeen built in the meanwhile ana !.
special truck was made TO work a., the +
rails II took 126 DAYS 10 eer the
meteorite 10 the railroad, and il va,
iinally brought here TO Rio de Janelro
IN 1898. The meteorite was carried
oNer~-a Wild country and across =
range OF mountains which was 48o
feet high.
asked Dr. Derby whether di.tnond
pipes, such as exist in South Africa
would ever be found in Brazil He
WQuld not prophesy. There is 10
DOUBT, however. that diamonds are
still being found in this country. and
| no ones knows whether diamond
| pipes may not yet be discovered Tn
I'll the opening up OF the mines Of
South Africa most diamonds were
| found in the gravel OF streams. This
| was the case with the diamonds of
BraZli They were known to exist al
most 200 years ago and were used
as counters by the gold miners be-
tore their value was known. AS far
back as 1892 no less than so, 600 men
were searching for diamonds in the
state OF Minas, and during the follow
ing half century Brazil exported pre-
clOus stones to the value of SIS 900.
geo.
During the eighteenth century the
stones were sold In parcels BY con
tract under gOvernmene regulations
ana the average price was only about
80 per Carat.B Much of the work was
done by slaves. and any slave that
found gem Of eighteen c&rats got
ms freedom. | p to 1850 more than a
quarter Of million carats of dia-
monds were taken out Of two rivers.
while from tho river Cuyaba more
than a million caratS had l.een taken
: up TO that date Until 1871 Brazil
) held the first place in the world in
the production OF diamonds.
? The first diamonds were discovered
t in the state of Minas Geraes in a
: country which is about 500 miles
) north Of Rio de Janeiro. SO many
: were found that the country was be.
0 coming known as Diamantina and i
: is still identified with the diamond in
dustry. Some Of the fields are situated
25O miles from the seacoast and one
: can go to within several days mul.
ride Of them by railway. The countr,
has an elevation OF from $500 to 5,
;, 700 feet above the sea. Much of tn
Il FdiamOnd country is made I'D of ra
= vines and the gems are found in
. sort Of blue clay deposit in beds fey
II feet in thickness. The diamond pipe
~ of Africa consist Of blue clay
y There are also diamond fields i
's central Bahia and many are found i
"a the streams. Some Of the gravels ar
IS in swampy districts buried from 20 {
g 80 feet under water and mud, an
!, some lie in streams on the bedroc
i below the gravel. There are also dia
q mond fields in Matto Crosse, that vas
% province Of central Brazil. but 50 ia
# none has been found there whic
weighs more than five carats Som
~ Of the mining Of MattO Crosse is don
by dredging, but not very successful,
al Dredges are also employed in Nina
as Geraes.
-" Mining for diamonds in South AfriC
c. is done on grand scale. The field
are owned by the diamond syndicat
e. and the whole is in the hands of
e. great trust which hires the labor an
o. fixes the prices. There no one ca
mine for diamonds without the COZ
sent OF the trust and the government
and he cannot even buy or sell dis
DIS monds without government permi
sion. In Brazil any one can get
or license to mine diamonds and the di;
c mond fields are full Of prospecto
" and small groups Of men who hay
40 joined together to search for the pr
re cious stones. The work Is done mu<
x like placer washing in the Unite
ne States and all the tools necessary ca
oA be carried on a mule. Much of Il
y ! work is done in the streams, the mi
ne ers diving down from boats, tal<il
ne ne with them canvas bags held open
~ ~ iron rings. Each miner fills his b;
on with the gravel and then rises to t
boat, where he empties it. After su
ss ficient amount Of gravel has been S
gu cured it is carried to the shore al
~ the diamonds sorted out. Where t
I'm +;,nas daD, no Straame and turn =
50. water so that the dry bed can
on ~ ro;nars u,ort on1v in tho 4
,ds a rbo~ oo o,-ar ~ .ro,-al . on