THE TREASURE FIELDS OF SOUTH AFRICA.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1100, 6 February 1872, Page 2

THE TREASURE FIELDS OF SOUTH AFRICA.

From the Natal Colonist we extract the following :— Great finds continueto take place at the diamond fields, many Natalians having been fortunate, chiefly at Colesberg Kopje. Among others the brothers Jones have found a ; diamond of 113 carats, flawed, and a fine stone of 12 carats. Messrs Topham and Davis, after three or four months' work, have returned with about 120 diamonds, amounting to about 336 carats in weight, including a fine stone of 86, and several others of 20; Vl, and 10 carats. A Natal man writes :— " t I don't think there are so many people on the fields as the papers make out. I should say 28,000 is the most, taking all the fields together ; say 15,000 at Dutoitspan, 10,000 at Colesberg Rush and De Beer's, and 2000 or 3000 at the rjiver diggings. . . ; ; , Liie at the fields is simply beastly ; the weather is detestable ;' flies' a perfect plague j everything wretchedly dear. -This week I have paid 34s:for water, and then we have not had ialf enpughV": , . . . From many sources we hear corroborations of the reputed, discovery of gold by Mr Edward Button, at Marabasstad, Transvaal, and we can find no reasonable ground for doubting the correctness of the reports. Several letters have been received by gentlemen in town, all what Mr Button says ; ' and ; spine of them going far beyond his moderate statements. But in spite of all this there is a certain vagueness 'regarding . the Ipcality, the nature of the country, the richness of the quartz, ithe'value of the ailuyial tract, which must be cleared lip before any .measures can be taken for opening; up tlie reputed gold field. Recently Mr.W. R. Parker received a small sample of alluvial gold from Mr E. Button. That exhibited by Mr Parker is about 4dwt altogetherone piece of which weighs about 2dwt. These fragments are said to be only a portion of the result obtained from two hours' washing. It may be too soon to speak positively upon the point, but we are strongly impressed with the conviction that the gold fields to the north of Natal will prove of equal, if not greater, im? portg,nce to our future with the diamond fieldjt. Two years have already place^a population of some 50,000 soul? on- the latter. Two niore may not improbably fill the former with a population not less extensive. ; ; . . ;/. n ;> ; , ;