LATEST FROM THE CAPE DIAMOND FIELDS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 269, 27 March 1873, Page 7

LATEST FROM THE CAPE DIAMOND FIELDS.

THE FALL IN DIAMONDS. On this subject the " Diamond News " writes as follows, in the latest number 1o hand :—": — " We do not ourselves regard the fall in diamonds as unnatural. They are not even surprising. They have for a long time been foretold and dreaded by both diggers and, dealers in our own country. It was impossible indeed that the vast number of gems which South Africa lias thrown and is still throwing into the diamond market, should have no effect whatever upon prices. No combination of merchants conld keep diamonds up to the value they were two years — or even one year ago. The fall is not sudden ; it has been as gradual as sure for the last six months. Now and then we have had intelligence that diamonds have been 4 firm,' but that firmness was no indication of a return of previous prices It would only be self-delusion for iis to count upon obtaining again the tempting prices which were once realised. It is better far to look the fact fairly in the face, and see how we are to meet the altered state of things. One thing is clear, however, the diggers pay more for diamonds in these depressed times than he did when he was fortunately getting higher prices. Digging is now carried on but at,a very heavy expense indeed, and it appears impossible if the present prices are to rule, that digging, under the present S3 r atem can be made to pay. Claims in the 'Colesberg Kopje, the principal digg'n^s, are from seventy to a hundred feet deep. The machinery for drawing up and down the stutf becomes more and more costly, and the labor of getting up a bucket full of gravel has become very great indeed. Men go on for week j, sometimes formontha, without finding stones. Labor every month gets scarcer and dearer. A very large number of diggers liavo been worn out, and have left the Fields in digust, and more are on the eve of taking their departure. The quantity of diamonds which will be shipped during tho next sir month 1 * will be in strong contrast with the quantity shipped during the hist six months. Xo doubt as the supply falls off, prices will go up again, but whilst the gra^s i>rows the steed starves. There must be very soon a large amonnt of suffering and want in the Diamond Fields. Already there are a good number of men who are out of work. We do not mean men who have trades and jjrofessicms to return t<» when diamond digging fails, but those who relied altogether upon digging and who have been unfortunate, and those who were brokering from camp to camp. The dealers in diamonds on the Fields either buy with great caution or do not buy at all, and the brokers who were to bo seen by the score in every merchant's office are greatly reduced. The occupation of a great many of them is altogether gone. This is not cheeriug, hut it is true and it wouldjbe useless to disguise it. The prospects of-thc Fields are anything but encouraging just noi?.

A writer to the "N. Z. Herald " remarks :— Despite the vigilance of our police, an observing person cannot fail to notice, in our main streets, an amount of degradation basting the character of this fair city ; while, should necessity or curiosity induce him to visit the by streets and alleys, in which are located the habitations of the lower orders, his progress in arrested by scenes of immorality, disease, and wretchedness. And if by chance he obtains an insight into the homes of many of our "highergrade," sights there revealed sicken and appal. Further, let him read regularly our daily journals, and he cannot but perceive the frequent occurrence of sudden and premature deaths, accidents robberies, and every description of crime; also the enormous amount the population) annually required to maiutain outpolice gaola, lunatic asylums, orphan homes, and other charitable institutions. What is the cause of this pollution, and by what means does it obtain 1 It is not difficult to discover, a3 it floats on the surface, and meets you everywhere — it is alocliol admitted to the life stream of society, through ignorance and indulgence. Yes, I am bold to assert, that fully ninety per cent, of the blight that is withering up Auckland's society is traceable to the abuse, or improper use of that " good gift of God," alochol. The directors of the Carrick Range Water Supply Company hay« accepted tenders for cutting the 2£ miles of race to complete the work as far as Duffer's Saddle. The extent of race already finished is 3f miles, and when the saddle is reached tlie distance, cut will be 6] miles. The directors have been much crippled for want of funds to carry on the work, and it is hoped the appeal made to his Honor the Superintendent to assist them may result in his inducing the Colonial Executive to advance without further delay the Amount of the loan applied for by the Company. The question of transferring the management of the goldfields to tho General Government will shortly be discussed by the various miners' associations If the manner in which the General Government have treated tho Carrick Water Supply Company in regard to the promised loan — harassing and delaying them at all points, heaping expense upon them for surveys and reports without end, and entirely without result as yet — is to be accepted as a sample of what tlie General Government's "management" will be, the longer the consideration of tho handing-over question is shelved the better for the goldfields. — " Cromwell Argus." " It is quite time," remarks the "Australasian," w that "utter discouragement be shown to pedestrian feats. At tho sports the other day a young fellow about to run on his nuei'ita, and for his own amusement, was more than once in sal ted lief ore the event with offers not to win. lie wasn't t« be bought, and ho did win. • But isn't tks existence of an *«dercurroct of swindling of this kind sufficient to stiflo the Jittle interest wlnclTis still taken in pedestrian, contents f The following aames are appropriate for the uaea mentioned : — For an auctioneer's wife — Hiddy. Fw a general s wife — Sally. For a sporting man's wife— But-ty. For a ! fisherman's wife — Net ty. For a shoe, maker's wife — Peg-gy. For a teamster's wife— Carrie. For a lawyers wife— Sue. For a printer's wife — Km. For a druggist's wife — Ann Eliza. For a carpet lnau's wife — Mat-lie,

The " Wreck Registrar " for 1871 has just been issued by the Board of Trade. It states that the number of wrpeks, casualties, and collisions from all causes on and near tho coasts of the United Kingdom and in the surrounding seas reported last year is 1575, being 73 more than the number reported in 1870, and, with the exception of 1870, leas than, the number reported in any year since 1854. The annual average of wrecks on the cost of the United Kingdom reported since 1852 is 1805 The number reported during 1871 is 230 below the average of the last five years. Of the wrecks in 1871, about oue out of twelve was attended with loss of life. The number of wrecks, causalties, and collisions reported may probably increase from year to year, arising from the increase, in the number of . ships frequenting our coasts and the narrow seas adjoining, whilst the particular number for any one year will be increased or diminished according to the prevalence or absence of gales of remarkable violence and duration. The gales which caused the greatest destruction to shipping on our coasts during last yaar were chiefly from the following directions : — January 8-16, from S.K. to S.W., most severe in the south of Ireland; February 10-11, ; from E. to S. in the north, and from S. to N.N. W. on the south and west coasts. The most destructive gale of the year occurred on the 10th February. The gales in March were on the 7th, Bth, and 12 ; their direction was generally between S. and W. During the months of April, May, June, and July, the wind 13 seldom reported as having reached tho force of the gale. August 24, from S.W. to W. on all but our south-east coast. September 27-28, from south in the Channel, aud S.E.to N.E. in tho high sea and north-east of England. September 30, from N. on the east of England, October 28-29, S.E. to S. on our south-east coats. November 20, from S. on our west coasts. November 30 to December 1, fiom N.E. on the east and south-east coasts of England. December 18, from S. to SW. o:i tho west, north, aud north-east coasts. December 20, S.W. to N.W. on our south-west oast, in the English Channel. The number of ships lost or damaged in the 1570 wrecks, casualties, and collisions reported as having occurred in and near the oasts of the United Kingdom in 1871 was 1927, representing a registered tonnage of 458,000 tons. The number of ships in 187 Lis greater than the number in 1870 by 62. — British Trade Report. Tlio " Creswick Advertiser " reports that some curiosity was excited on the sth December, on Slaughter-yard Hill, by the display of a pole outside a miuer's cottage, from which floated a veritable pig-tail. Early that morning the miner was awoke by a noise in the fowl-house. Having been a heavy loser of poultry, he was soon on the alert, and on entering the henrooat he discovered a strange bird, of a Shanghai breed . Neighbors were aro used , who soon leut a willing hand to clip the bird of his tail. John resented the insult by most lustily calling out for the police, but he got no help from that quarter. Before bidding the fellow a final adieu, he was conducted to the dam of the Itoyal Standard Company. What took place there, to borrow the language of Matk Twain, "we will draw a veil over ;" suffice it to say, tho parting was anything but pleasant on cither side. One of the stubborn, unpleasant facts the last few years have drilled into us (says a Melbourne paper) is that the stream of immigration has, for the present, directly set away from Australia. Onr increase of population from outside sources might almost be called contemptible, the colony having indeed, according to the last census returns, retrograded since 1861, in its number of bread winners, that is of males between twenty-flve and forty. Emigration from Europe is as large as ever, but America absorbs tlie whole of the stream. TUe driblets that come to us are as it were but the waste of the rich man's table ; our growth must mainly depend, as America's did the generation after the revolutionary war, on the actual increase of population already in the land from the excess of births over ieaths. A Liverpool correspondent says : — A trial of the patent " Electro-Magnetic Motor" has just taken place on board the Miranda, in the Birkenhead Great Float, and for the moment the result is of that nature which enables the inventors to state that full power the " Electro Magnectic Motor " made 1400 to 1500 revolutions per minute while not connected with the screw. The yacht was worked for about five minutes, bnt before she vsould be brought up, from the great vibrations she tore all the fastenings away. The fact is that the ."ElectroMagnetic Motor p engine was 1 , twice too powerful for the yacht, and it will take some time before tlie new electric machine is completed. The " Charleston Herald " makes the following extraordinary statement, which should certainly be either substantiated or refuted by the House of Representatives as a whole. It is as follows: — ''We state it for a positive fact that we know one lad's salary being advanced from £70 to £100, the douceur to the M.H.R. obtaining that amount, being a £10 cheque." The advance was made an tke telegraph, department. Lord Kiraberly, iv tho speech he delivered at the Telegraphic O.uiquet, paid New Zealand a high compliment. He said: — "Look at New Zealand. I. do not beJieve tkat in the whole history of England will be found an example of Knglishmen whejiave met the difficulties that stood in their way moro manfully, or have settled them with greater succes ; nothing «»uld have been attended with happier results than tke pelicy <*f the Xew Zealand Ministry towards the native, chiefs during the last year. {Cheers.) The Government of tibat colony have fully understood tlveir sitHati-m ; they hava manfully dealt witii their difficulties ; ai.d the way in which they have surmounted them is a proof that we have laid tlie foundation of their lasting prosperity and progress. 1 honour the spirit they have shown — hear, hear) — and move so because they now pursue tireir course without murmuring, and I hope thay now ackuow~ ledge that th >ir position is superior to anything iv the pa3t •; is now more consolidated, and hopefully encouraging witk respect to the future. I have made tkii reference to New Zealand, feeling assarted that no colony has a shown a greater spirit and determination to overcome xL*. difficulties."