Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1869-10-01 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

DISCOVERY OF DIAMONDS IN AFRICA.  _.-...____.  The Cape mail on the present occasion brings advices, dated August 4. from Potchefstroom, in the Transvaal Republic, regarding the diamond discoveries and the revived prospects of a profitable gold production. Large numbers of precious stones continued to be found near the Vaal River, and the want of cornpe• tent lapidaries on the spot to judge of their value was touch felt. The dial:mm(l beds are now supposed to he at or near the Hart's River, forming the western frontier of the Republic. The boundary question between the Transvaal and Portuguesse settlements had been satisfactorily disposed of, and a commercial treaty with Portugal entered into through the instru. mentality of Chevalier du Prat, Portuguese ConsulGeneral at the Cape, who arrived on a mission for the purpose. The Prussian 'steamship Peterman had not yet appeared on the east coast, although the newspapers gave her date of sailing from Europe as the 18th of March. Mr Mauch, the geologist, by whom the gold excitement was first raised, had, pending her arrival, made a trip into the diamond country, and his return was expected with great interest. "Mr Mauch," it is said, "to a certain extent exculpates Mr Gregory (Mr Emmanuera late agent) as regards his reports in re diamonds. Both these and gold seem to be found here under circumstances entirely different from those ifl other parts of the world, and Mauch strongly advises geologists coming here to leave part of their book lore behind them, and be prepared to turn over an entirely new leaf in the-records of their science." Gold specimens lately brought in and publicly exhibited are affirmed to be very rich (estimated at 9 to lficz. gold VI the ton), and to consist, not of picked ones, but to have been taken indiscriminately from a heap of quartz 80 tons in weight. AMr Rockey, of Natal, the mseistrate on the Tatin, was *tweeted down within a fortnight with a.quantity of tine gold gained by him with a very primitive self-made achine. Notwithstandin-1 the large percentage of gold and the depths of some of the shafts, the true reef was not considered to have been yet struck. Finally, it is remarked, "Some of the old Australian diggers aver that on the 'ratio crystallised quartz 1,4 frequently found rich in gold—a thing never seen before. Thirty-five letters from there to different parts of Australia and New Zeeland pass through our post-office to-day, and two crushing machines have been ordered from there."—Tintes.  A New York telegram announces the return of Dr. Hael, the Arctic explorer, after an absence of five years. He discovere I the skeletons of several of Sir Franklin's party at King William's Land, and he has brought with him numerous relics of the unfortunate expedition.  In Australia the rabbit is likely to become a rural reformer. It is found impossible to extirpate the rabbits on large runs, and this is hastening the division of the land into small farms. One farmer writes to the Legislative Assembly of Victoria that in nine months of last year he had 100 men engaged on his run killing rabbits, and about 2,000,000 ware killed at a cost of £5,000.  From a Paris correspondent it appears the Pantin crime is involved in frebh mystery, and that the father and eldest son, who were supposed to be the murderers, are really victiws. The body of the son. with a knife left in his throat, was discovered in a field adkining that where the other bodies were found. The only person in custody is Traumnann, who gave his name as Klock, at a Paris lodging house.  The Mark Lane Express estimates that nine million quarters of wheat will probably be wanted before the harvest of 1870, and sees no hope of liberal !Supplies from Russia; and America is suffering from a deficient crop of maize, which will enhance the value of wheat. All Germany and Hungary complain of very inferior weight and quality this season; whilst every part of the world is pretty well cleared out, California excepted. The sending of !are supplies is therefore encompassed with more difficulty than usual.