LATEST FROM THE CAPE

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 167, 17 May 1872, Page 5

LATEST FROM THE CAPE

Items of news from Qape papers have come to Melbourne, via Mauritius, by the barque Elizabeth, just arrived from Port Louis. In addition to diamonds there was also gold being found in the Transvaal, and the rush of people to the . diamondfields was largely on the increase. The Volksradd of Transvaal Republic had repudiated & decision of the President Pretoriousr with regard to the regulations for the diamond fields, and he had . resigned. The people at the diggings were somewhat difficult to keep in check, and were manifesting a disposition, to take the law into their own hands. Lynch law was beginning to crop up, and it was given out that any canteen-keeper found buying diamonds from a native would have ; his establishment burned down. A canteen-keeper was found offending in this respect, and a meeting was called, at which 7000 digger* asembled, and after a discussion in front of his tent, it was decided to take all his diamonds, burn the tent, and give him an hours #race to leave the camp. On remonstrating with the diggers he was graciously informed that he would be lynched if he did not skedaddle. For the diamond which he had purchased from the native he gave 13s. 6d. and a glass of grog, and its value was £2O. The property destroyed by the burning of the tent was said to be of £2OOO value. The diggers after this seem to have instituted quite a raid against the canteens, many of which are general stores as well as- grog shops, and five or six more shared a similar fate to the first one. Severe Sabbatarianism had also- apparently set in, the diggers having made up their minds and expressed their intention of burning every public house that opened on Sunday. They had also given out that any nigger try. ing to sell a diamond would be lynched. The latest news states that an additional force of frontier police had been ordered to the diamond fields.