DIAMOND DIGGING IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1294, 21 September 1872, Page 4

DIAMOND DIGGING IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

New South Wales is beginning once more to establish itself as a diamond-pro-ducing country. We have a very lively recollection of what is known as the big diamond swindle, in which Mr Butters, now of Fiji notoriety, figured so largely, and the cautious hands have no desire to be similarly led astray a second tinio. But on that occasion the big diamond was only allowed to be felt in a bag or seen in the dark. Things are different now. During the last few days a diamond has been privately er'aibited in Sydney, which was found by Mr Creed, a schoolmaster, eight feet below tho surface, near Oberon, on tho Fish River, a village about 16 miles from Bathurst. The schoolmaster was prospecting for gold, and in the secoud pan he washed out he found this diamond. The propei iy on which it was discovered is a small free selection of 40 acres, and it shows how Wnocent many of our settlers are of mineralogy, that the owner, one Peter Lendster, has been residing on it for 11 years without any suspicion of its value. Of course the district hai been lushed, pud claims are mark' I out in all directions. The aurferous and diamond dr ft appears to be derived from a stratum underlying some tertia;/ basalt, and overlying the {,*ranite o2 the 'district. The watercourses, which have cut through both rocks, have cairied the drift from this stratum dona the creek beds, and into the Fish River. The Rev. W. B. Clarke, who has examined the stone, and pronounced it a veritable diamond, says that he has always considered the Fish River to be a diamond district, and that he quite anticipates that a careful examination will be veiy productive of profitable results. Several scientific men have inspected the " little stranger," and pronounced it the finest yet seen in the colony. It is valued at about LBOO, and the owners have refused LGSO for it.