The New York herald., 1922-02-12

- :
The
'home in the JUNGLE"
where the explorers
party lived on
veritable
"carpet of diamonds"
The bird is one of the
jungle denizens.
The carvings are
strange souvenirs of some
vanished race which
used to inhabit the
Guianas, but Of whom
little ever has been
learned.
= CHEMISTS have the theory that great
quantities Of the finest diamonds lie
embedded in the lava and strata of
South American formations-that poten-
tial Kimberley is hidden somewhere in the
rocky floor of the British Guiana jungles
There is support for this theory, for an
American explorer who through all his
life has had burning urge to prospect
for diamonds has come back to America
from the South American wildernesses
with the largest diamond ever found in
the Americas
This diamond, the explorer believes, may
diamond source which might rival the out
put of the famous Kimberley fields of South
Africa
The explorer with the burning urge to
prospect for diamonds is William ]. La
varre of New York and Washington.
The rough gem which La varre brought
back to the United States will be polished
and cut for the market in New York 1t
is thirty and a quarter carats and in the
rough measures seven-eighths of an inch
from point to point.
Mr. La varre calls his jewel IAN alluvial
diamond" That means that it was carried
to the jungle earth from which he with
drew 1t by rushing water; and 1t is his
theory that the Essequibo and Mazaruni
rivers, one or the other, or both, brought
the diamond down from the craters of vol
canoes in which the terrific heat of erupted
lava crystallized carbon formations.
On the first expedition of the young ex-
plorer there was rain-nothing but rain.
He was obliged to make his way for days
upon days through seas of water in the
jungle, and at nights he and his retinue
of guides and native helpers had to make
the driest beds they could and still be wet.
And It was on this second expedition
that he was overwhelmed by the diamond
lust The desire became so overpowering
that young La varre determined to name
the field, when he found 1t, LA Desire"
He believes he has found It, Further re-
search will prove.
He has had many adventures in the life
of jungle days.
One day La varre and twenty-five ma
tives who were of his party were padding
up the Mazaruni River. They were In the
midst of $50 mile trip to the interior of
British Guiana, and along the way were
on the alert and casually prospecting for
precious stones or minerals. La Varre had
the diamond fever then. The oarsmen
we're padding automatically along, jar
coming to each other and the explorers
eyes were on the banks of the stream.
Gliding gracefully and noiselessly through
the water, long, sleek river monster-a
giant water boa-came toward the boat with
its unwatching passengers. With leap
from the water the boa flung itself at the
boat. Tho terrified and panic stricken ma
tives, not knowing what else to do, cast
themselves overheard and into the river.
They swan in all directions. This mass
fight disconnected the boa constructor some
what, but the monster soon recovered its
wits and, leaving La varre sitting quietly
in the boat preparing his gun for action,
slipped its long body over the low side Of
the vessel and set out in pursuit of one or