THE DIAMOND FIELDS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1034, 29 August 1883, Page 4

THE DIAMOND FIELDS.

Mr John Thompson writes to the Jimqqi Herald from Alford Forest, undeVdate August 24, as follows:—I did not expect to write you again, but the>*nor’westers one day and snow the nekt’have prevented us finishing our tforlr. Another heavy snowstorm is and all the country is . cohered with a white sheet. lam glad to report a more favorable account of the/diamond fields. At last the real work has commenced on the’ground, ; atf# not manipulated in Christchurch by ‘/peculators. A party of West Coast dfj&ers are now at work at the Oriental : claiip. They are shifting a blue clay , face 16ft high, and state they have a very good prospect. They are obtaining timbers to : carry on- a tunnel. Mr Stanley informed them that Cape diamonds were obtained in the same formation.. two miners from the Cape arrived, and intend to start work as soon as the weather permits. Mr' ; Jacobsen, Mr Webber and Mr Webber, jun., arrived yesterday wiih house and all the plant necessary to work the Pioneer and three other claims they represent. They will have to pack their house about two and a-half miles up Taylor’s stream. They are engaging men here, and as soon as the weather permits will go to work in earnest, Mr Jacobsen has all the material to thoroughly lest the stones, and says he will not leave till he has pure diamonds as big as marbles to send Home; Very large specimens can be seen in the large rock, and he maintains loose’ ones can be obtained m thfr* clay. On Mr McFarlane’s side thfe; Golconda -Company are going to work at once on their freehold, and afeo upon their prospecting ground, I understand this Company consists of £o' Christchurch men with money. MeisrS Watson and Griffiths, directors, were here this week, and were favorably iiJfpreSsed with their prospect. 1 hear, also, that our draper friends are coming again in a few days, bringing practical mipfcrs i With them. Speculation has had its innings, but now practical and hard work seems the order of the day. l a baye ; considerable faith in the new order ot things. The men on the ground are l the| right sort, and if this district contains any valuable minerals they will be unearthed this spring and ’ Black Chats have given place tp ; moleskins' and strong arms. Lewiis and T got some beautiful-looking stones on a top 2,870 feet above the sea, and submitted them last night to Mr Jacobsen’s test, but they were partially destroyed and declared zircons. We alspagoV a piece of quartz with gold distinctly visible to the eye, but could not see any sign of the reef it came from. Nothing will shake Mr Jacobsen’s beliefj in die genuineness of the diamonds. The old gentleman is very plucky, and I hope he will be rewarded with success. We will be here several days yet, having a cemetery to peg out, and it is our intention before leaving to inspect the works in progress, and I will Send you an account of them.