THE DIAMOND FIELDS OF SOUTH AFRICA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 122, 22 May 1873, Page 4

THE DIAMOND FIELDS OF SOUTH AFRICA.

vi ■ We, Charleston Herald, take the following extract from a recent letter received from one who sends an account of his travels to the South African diamond fields, and his experiences there. On my arrival at the Golea Berg Kopge, with its tens of thousands of tente, besides its wooden and iron buildings, the sight that met roy eyes I cannot find apace here to describe, but in all my colonial travels I never before witnessed so large a field of canvas. The tents are all made of canvas,.calico not being capable of withstanding the thunder-squalls which are so prevalent. The place is thickly populated for one mile square, and the town ia laid out in irregular streets, including a large market-square, and is composed of. wooden and iron stores, including large numbers of diamond-buyers' offices. There are also several churches and places of amusement. The population consists of all nations, classes, creeds, aod colors, and two-thirds of the whole are black. The whole population of Coles Berge Kopge, not including the other four fields', is about 30,000 — 10,000 whites aud 20,000 blacks. The diamondiferous extent of this . particular field is only 780 feet by 800 feet, containing 886 claims of 30 feet square each; which you will see at a glance is a small piece of ground to fully support 30,000 people. Many of the claims are now down to the water, and the rainy season close at hand. To guard against getting swamped out, a new system of working is being discussed, by procuring machinery. However at present, in consequence of the extra expense in working the claims, and the decrease in tbe yield and price of diamonds, not one-third of the claims are paying expenses, the rich ones included. Many Dutch families who came here from the Transvaal with a waggon, team of oxen, and' also cash, and in instances, after spending ail, selling oxen, and afterwards their farm of 6000 acrea for a claim, are penniless, and living in small miserable tents ; and, in instances, two or three families are huddled together. They are generally very dirty, and seldom wash themselves or their clothes. Within the last six months there has been no chance for a stranger here in obtaining a payable claim*, or of obtaining anything, unless he is a tradesman. There is no demand here for the white labourer, all labour works being done by Kaffirs. This place is day by day getting duller. A great many claims are now let on what they call shares, or what I call tribute' The owner of the claim gets from 25 to 50 per cent, of the proceeds, but there is no law to guarantee the tributor anylength of time; so thajf if he should happen to get into a good piece of ground, the owner can dispose of it, or else turn him out without one day's notice. To sum up the whole, diamond diggings has not paid for the last six months — many have been ruined through it. There may be new payable kopges found, but that is the only chance. As for tbe goldfielda, [I am afraid there never will be a paying alluvial one found in South Africa, notwithstanding Mr M'Hardie's statement that ruined cities have been found with thousands of gold mines around them, both alluvial and quartz. The Portuguese declared the harbor of Sefala to lie parallel to the largest buried fortified city. At the ancient port of Ophir I have had reports from our own party that went to the goldfielda, also from other Australian miners there, and -they all emphatically declared that no payable goldfielda have been found. As much as ldwt of alluvial gold has been found per day by prospectors, but seldom that, the Marabastad goldfield is only a swindle. There are many broken down miners here as well as in Australia, who had plenty of diamonds at one time, but through over speculation, drinking, and gambling are now with not a pound, and solely depending on fossicking for their living. The river diamonds are scarce, but by far the best one was found there on the 7th ult., weighing 288$ carats, the largest found as yet. £20,000 was said to be offered for it. Twelve months ago it would have fetched hundreds of thousands. As yet I have seen no sickness. Market things are very high at present, especially vegetables; cabbages from 4a to 7s each; lettuce. 4a bunch; potatoes, 8s small American bucketful; flour £2 10s lOOlbs; beefynd mutton, 6d per lb; fowls, from 4s to 5s each; eggs 3s 6d per dozen; water, 3s per cask; firewood, from £1 to £6 per load, the former being, a-, bout two barrowfuls; forage, ls 6d per small bundle; in fact everything is dear in proportion.