THE DIAMOND COUNTRY AFRICA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 924, 23 April 1883, Page 2

THE DIAMOND COUNTRY AFRICA.

The soil, wheh brought the summit, is carted away andstrewn on the ground, where it is left for, a Fortnight or three weeks to pulverise in the sun. At the expiration of this time gangs, of Kaffirs; superintended fay a white overseer; break the .large* dry lumps into powder, and this in turn is carted away to be placed in ! the' tj washirig : machine. It is during the process of first breaking that some of the largest diamonds are discovered,and the ovefsee’r l|aS to keep a sharp lookout on the workers in consequence! In spiite of the terrible penalty incurred by any one detected in the act.of secreting a good find, thefts ate very rife, ahd rhany'a diamond finds .its way into Kaffir possession in spite of the sharpest vigilance.Duqng the process of - washing the gravelly substance, which as well as the diamonds, sinks to the bottom of the machine, while the earthen substance disappears in another channel When it has been thoroughly washed through ,two or three times this gravel is col- • lected and strewn on tables, where searchers, with steel, instruments somewhat resembling broad knives, carefully turn it over in minute search. Then it is that the precious jewel is discovered in all manner of sizes.and when it is placed in a smaUtrayV’oh which another overseer keeps. hi| watchful eye. I was given several little heaps of gravel to dissect, and in half an hour had succeeded in, discovering about twenty or thirty ; diamonds of very fair size, and some so perfectly shaped that they had every appearance of having just left - the) cutter's hands. , - • - X