THE CAPE DIAMOND FIELDS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 348, 18 April 1874, Page 3

THE CAPE DIAMOND FIELDS.

{Ross '• Guardian.")

A letter from Mr. W. B. Forest, late of Ross, dated: Kyinberley, 22nd November, 1873, has been kindly placed at onr disposal, and from which we make the following extracts :—: —

We have got comfortably settled, and although we did not like the place at first, I think I acted very wisely in leaving Ross when T did. The first nine months I was here I had constant work at tbe tools carpentering, and left 253 per day to go diamond digging, which I call no work at all ; in fact it is the easiest times I ever had in my life. We have two claims— one of them belongs to ourselves, that three of us bought for £450, and I am working with another mate in the other claim on per centage. •We get two-thirds, of all the stones we find, and have to pay all expenses. We have twenty Caffirs working for us at 10s per week and as much ground maize us they can eat. We have been in this claim ten weeks, It was very poor the first three weeks, and we were £21 out of pocket ; then it began to pay better. I think this last six weeks we have got £550 out of it. We got about £130 last week — one stone was worth £70, another £40 One £8, and several small ones. My ether two mates got about £200 worth in six weeks. They are talking about selling out, and going to the goldfields. I must tell you that there was some gold discovered six months ago, about 500 miles from here, at a place called Leydonburg. The Dutchmen and Kaffirs worked with only middling success for a time, until about twenty of our Australian shipmates went up and set into the creeks, and I am happy to say they are mostly all doing very well, and have written to stirne more of the shipmates to go up. I know three of them that got £900 per man in six months from the time they left here, and it took them six weeks to go from here. They say it is a king of a place to what this is, but it is rather hot at present. Ido not think this any warmer than Melbourne. There are waggons leaving here every week for the goldfields — fare £8, and 2001bs luggage Ihe coaches charge £14 each, and 20lbs lnggage, but they will take you through in six days. If I was doing nothing here I would be off in the morning, but I will not leave these fields as long as my claims shape anything at all near the mark. There was a Native War commenced in Natal last week, and four of the white volunteers got shot dead, and several were wounded. The Kaffirs come to the diamond fields to work for three or four months, for as much money as will buy a gun, and off home again. They are a fine race of people. When they come here they are as thin as lamp-posts, and go away as fat as butter. I firmly believe that South Africa will be a thriving country beftjfe long, as the Transval is full of minerals of all descriptions.