AFRICAN DIAMOND FIELDS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4207, 14 September 1874, Page 3

AFRICAN DIAMOND FIELDS.

(From the New York Herald.) Richmond, Va., June 9, 1871. A letter was received to-day by Mr. John Wiley, from Kimberley in South Africa, which is almost in the centre of the diamond fields. Mr. Wiley, who is a native of this city, has but recently returned from a tour of Europe and Africa, in the course of which he spent some months in Cape Colony, and among the diamond diggers at Kimberley. This place he describes as a huge circular bowl, thirteen acres in extent, within which claims have been dug to the depth of 200 ft. On the outside of this thirteen acres for miles, after digging to the depth of three feet a solid surface of rock is encountered, so that the thirteen acres form a circular bowl, completely surrounded by a wall of rock, called by the diggers “ The Reef.” In this bowl (Kimberley) the most valuable diamonds have been discovered, and claims, there sell at much higher rates than in any other portions of the diamond fields. Mr. Wiley has permitted me to make the following extract from the letter of his correspondent, which gives rather a gloomy picture of affairs at the fields (Kimberley). The letter bears date March 29 and says:— “There has been for some time past and there still is great depression among all classes, including the traders, shopkeepers, and the diggers on the diamond fields. Among the merchants this has been caused partly by overtrading and partly, or perhaps principally, it is consequent upon and following the bad condition in which the diggers find themselves. 'The diggers are suffering severely from the very low price or value to which diamonds are at present reduced. The terrible state to which the Kopjie (South African Dutch for small hill) is now brought by a constant succession of the heaviest rains that have ever visited South Africa within the memory of the most ancient Kaffir, is alarming and very disheartening. The half of the claims are entirely under water, and the reef (wall) has given way on all sides, covering in two or three of the most extensive claims all round. The water on our part, No. 8, South road, brought down the staging, gearing, railing, and tramways in one indiscriminate ■wreck, and if something is not done soon by the aid of steam towards drainage, and with the assistance of the Government, I fear this, the richest place in the Diamond Fields, is on the broad way which leadeth unto ruin. “ The Government intend to do something to help the diggers ; but if they do not it is the impression that these valuable fields will have to be abandoned, as the diggers cannot afford to remain under the heavy expense incident to living in this section. Only the other day Battenhausen’s and Maider’s claims were covered up by the falling of the reef, but Maider had just previously sold his claim for £1,200, and both he and Battenhausen leave the fields for good to-morrow. Among the other unfortunates is Kiqton, and also Peterson, whose claims hero are entirely covered up) and poor Kiuton is not worth anything. He is working for day wages. John Smith has not been working for two months, and ho often comes in to spend an hour with me.” The letter gives a good deal of the individual losses sustained by diggers, and the experience, which in some instances is very sad, of others, and winds up with anything but a hopeful view of affairs in Capo Colony.