Diamond Mining.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4466, 28 April 1883, Page 2

Diamond Mining.

[By x late Afeican,] The following experiences by a diamond miner, of 11 years' experience, will be interesting to our readers: — "Though all precious stone 3 have gathered myths about them, and been credited with wonderous properties, the diamond has perhaps the most marvellous legend of any gem. The Indians, and Pliny, too, if lam not mistaken, believed that diamonds propagated their species like animals. A more modern myth says that the Pitt or Eegent diamond came from the Straits of Malacca. This myth had a philological origin; someone said something causually about Malachite, the green mineral, in connection with the Pitt Diamond', and Malachite got corrupted into Malacca. Mr. Pitt, the acquirer of the stone, then Governor of Madras, was held to be a merchant resident in Malacca; a mythical | being named Cullinger was also involved in connection with the diamonds of the Palms region., As Betsy Prig has it, '•There never was no such person." Mr Cullinger is a corrupt reading of the fort of KaTirigar where diamonds have been discovered. The biggest diamonds seem provokingly small to a steady reader of thio Arabian Nights. The Braganza diamond is said to weigh 1680 carats, and to be as big as a goose' egg. That would be a respectable stone to present to our Auckland Museum, but people doubt whether it is really a dia* mond at all, it may be only a white topaz not worth a five pound note, whereas it has been wildly valued at £300,000,000; if ao, it is beyond even the Silver King's or the Vanderbilfc's purchasing power; but if it costs less than the estimate for the Egyptain war, England might buy il for the British Museum. The Portugese are believed not to be anxious to apply the test of science to the Braganza diamond, any more than Don Quixote was eager to try his old helmet with a second sword stroke. The next biggest diamond is in possession of the Rajah of Mattan, it is said to weigh 367 carats, and while uncut to be worth £369, 378. This stone has miraclons healing powers, and the owner is not anxious to make it over, to the Dutch. There is, a dispute as to whether the "Great Mogul" is said by Tavernier (1868) to have weighed 900 carats, but

this old traveller, who should certainly know, gives other and discrepant accounts. The stone was a rose diamond, whereas, when the Koh i-noor first swam into our ken, it was an irregular ellipse, rery flat, dull, and full of flaws; it has been suggested that the Grand Mogul may have been chipped down into the Koh-inoor. The mythical history of that diamond goes back to the "flood," or there* abouts, but 1304 seems about its first appearance in dated history. The famous Orloff stone weighs about 195 carats, and appears to hare been one eye of Anidal in a Temple at Seringapatam; thence it was stolen by a French deserter. It would be interesting to learn where' therotifer r eye is, but that is probably concealed even from the researches of the great Mr Street.er. Many of your readers[-would like a dig at that eye. The most interest-, ing diamond is Tavernier's blue stone which he sold Louis Xl^in 1688; the blue stone was pilfered in 1792, and appears to hare been split into three-—the Hope diamond, the Duke of Brunswick's blue drop, and another one. The French Republicowtil fchej Regent or Fitt diamond; it is valued at £480,000, but is by no means certain^ to bring more than £25,000. If ;thi« uncertainty really exists, the republic may as well treat itself to the diamond, however inconsistent with : republican virtue this may be. 'The next largest known diamond is the Porter-Rhodes stone, which was unearthed from tfyf Kimberley mines in Africa in 1881, and " valued at £100,000. It was exhibited by the lucky fiuder at one pound per head, for the benefit of an hospital. Then Her Britannic Majesty was shown the stone last year, and Porter had the distinguished privilege of dining with Maids of Honour. Porter is now well up in the stirrups', and has improved his head—no more side. He parts his hair straight down the middle now. ' RT