THE CAPE DIAMOND FIELDS.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 969, 10 May 1872, Page 3

THE CAPE DIAMOND FIELDS.

The finds at the Cape diamond fields have lately been attracting some attention among the mining population in this Province, and several miners have already left to try their luck at the fields. A perusal of the Cape of Good Hope papers, however, as well as of the letters of special correspondents to English papers, would lead to the belief that everything is not so couleur de rose at the fields as some previous accounts wonld have led one to suppose. The chances of finding diamonds appear to be much less than those of finding payable gold, the lucky being in the proportion of one to fifty who are unlucky. The cost of reaching the fields is very great, as also is the cost of living there. The water is both scarce and abominable, being hardly fit to drink even after being boiled and filtered; consequently diarrhoea and fever are exceedingly prevalent, and deaths are frequent. One paper (the ' Eastern Star,' published at Grahamstown) says that " the mortality at the fie d; is becomalarming, and many aro leaving for healthier local ties." A correspondent of the King William's Town ' Gazette' says that " sanitary arrangements have been greatly neglected;" and the ' Kaffrarian Watchman' says that " the sanitary condition of the various camps require the immediate attention of the Government." The prices of claims are enormous, and claims are scarce even at the fabulous figures demanded. Black labour has also to be competed with. The London ' Telegraph's ' correspondent says that " the mere rough work of diamonddigging is very heavy, and white men are to expensive—too precious on rich claims —for such labour." Aud elsewhere he says :—" There is no room for poor people. Black labour is to plentiful, too cheap, too convenient in many ways." These blacks, who are employed in thousands, are described by the same writer as " pouring in under the temptation of 16s a month and ' grub.' " Some of our miners will, no doubt, be attracted to the diamond fields in spite of all these drawbacks ; the chance, small as it is, of finding a good diamond is so tempting. But most who are doing at all well will probably prefer the bird in the hand to those in the bush. At any rate, if any one does go to the fields, and finds out his mistake, he cannot say that he has not been warned beforehand.