THE SOUTH AFRICAN DIAMOND MINES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 212, 22 February 1872, Page 6

THE SOUTH AFRICAN DIAMOND MINES.

(From the latest Cape Town papers.)

A gold nugget, weighing 9£ oz., has been found at the fislds. It has crea ted quite a sensation among the diamond diggers.

Blr. Lloyd, a transport-rider, who went to the fields a few months ago, with five loads of merchandise,' returned to Bur<jhersdorp tie other f 'day. He has been the lucky finder at New Rush of over 200 diamonds.

A shilling a cartload is paid at the fields for conveying stuff the distance of a hundred yards. With a couple of mules and a strong cart, a man can easily earn from thirty to forty shillings a day.

It is rumoured that a Queenstown party working at the New Rush have turned out a 91 carat diamond, of good shape and colour. It is 'to be hoped, for the sake of those interested, that the rumour may resolve itself into a substantial fact.

A fortune-teller who made it his business at the fields with a pack «f ca"ds to tell people their luck, has been enabled in a few: months ip . scrape" together several thousand pounds, with which he has left the fields.

Two men lately passed through Queenstown, on their way to the mother country. They came here about tvvelve months ago, and have" befin very successful. They intend going home to spend Christmas with their friends, returning to the colony early in the year. They have between three and four thousand pounds in thejr possession, and have left tho remainder of their party at work in the new rush. They hope to-hear of large accessions to their wealth on their re* turn,' the proceeds of finds at the claim worked for them.-r

' The following extracts from a letter written by a gentleman on tbe fields, and published in the " King WilliamV Town (Jazefeje,'"' will be read with' interest by the iadjes:--" A nd. here' l mayineiition that, most of tho diggers who are married, and,' intend to remain auy^ length' of time, are getting "up their, wives; so thai society is likely' to be more settled in future. " rAUeadj

in the different ..places of worship the larger porfioiis of tjie correlation s are formed of females. 'Still, 'i they have .many privations to undergo, and I do not think that a lady who cannot put up with a few difficulties ought to venture to the diamond fields. There is a saying liere that one woman is worth two men in a party, and there is no doubt a married couple are better than two single men. • For putting things " to rights about a place, for working, and for Borting, it is generally .admitted there has be ( en nothing invented yet to equal a woman."

A gentleman recently returned from the diamond-fields informs the " TJitenha^e Times " that, religious services are carried on under considerable difficulties there. It is no unusual tbiiitr, on proceeding to church ' after a high wind, to find that the tent has been blown down, and. service suspended. "Weather, &c, permitting, service is, held on the Sabbath, morning and evening. ' The minister arrives with a candle in his hand, and bible and hymnbook in hia pocket, taking his position on the sand, or, haply, on an empty packing-case. Soon the congregation arrive, each person brinainu 1 hia own; seat, candle, and box of matches. The minister takes out bis hihlo, wMeh h? places under one arm, lights his candle, which he holds in one hand, and from a hymn-book, held in the other, he giwjs out a hymn. The congregation then light their candle?, and after two or three attempts to pitch a tune in the right key, the singing: proceeds. As soon as the last verso of the hymn is sur £, the candles are blown out, to be relifc again when the next hymn is yiven out. After service, a collection is made by pome one, who volunteers j this duty for the minister. Ho generally carries the hat round. 1 Weekly sales of diamonds arc hold at the Commercial sale, rooms. The return of one report before us was £1393; of another, £2623 15s. The diamonds seemed to average from live lo th-rty cuafcp.

In nuti'-ini; the finds and the success of diggers, a fact or two are worth statin ir- i^re is one of them. The last mail to Engl.uid took with her diamonds valued at £GO,OOO. This i*, however, not'iing extraordinary. Eor the last half year now the mails have taken home regularly every fortnight paic-ls valued at from £50.000 to £60,003. Here is another. Mr. Babe, an American ycutlcnian, returned last week fon IV fields, bringing diamonds wit'i Him (hia own iiinls) worth at least £5000, tho fruit of three or four months' work. A person ir partnership with him arrived at the Kama time with gems valued at an equal amount. Mr. Babe has had experience as a gold digger in California, and he is enthusiastic as regards the wealth of the fields and the fortunes tn be made there. Tho order maintained at the. fields is admirable, One seldom comes across a report of even a case of rowd}'ism. Every one willingly submits to the authority of the constituted courts, whether Free State o«* British. Lynch law is unknown to the Free State, to which by far is mostly due the credit of this orderly state of things. Iheir chief magistrate, Mr. Truter, is an experienced man. For many years he was a digger on the /.-ustraliau ; hence he understands his business, and does it with a tact which accounts largely for tho peacefulness of the camps over which he and his confreres rule, while at Klipt drifts, where the British magistrate is stationed, similar order prevails. The court there h still considered not ad successful as the Free Statecourts ou t')e south sido of the river. In fact the Free State has, as far as success in administration goes, a firmer hold on the fields than the Government of the colony. This hold, however, they are not to maintain long. Finding that he could not bring the State to asxree to arbitration, his Excellency Sir Henry Barkly is about summarily to declare the fields British territory, without any further reference to the President or Volksraad. A recorder and public prosecutor have already been appointed, and are waiting for the annexing proclamation to enter upon the duties of their offices.