Identifier: sciencerecordcom1874beac (find matches)
Title: The Science record; a compendium of scientific progress and discovery
Year: 1872 (1870s)
Authors: Beach, Alfred Ely, 1826-1896
Subjects: Technology Industrial arts
Publisher: New York, Munn
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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and in a few months a large population hadcome together, making quite a town. Diamonds are found at all depths, and in some claimsfrom the surface down ; a fine 10-carat stone has beenfound at the depth of 96 feet, while sinking a well. Sixtyfeet is not an uncommon depth for claims to be sunk, andsometimes twenty feet of red sand has to be removed be-fore the diamond-bearing soil is reached. The best dia-monds are said to have been found at the depth of twenty-five feet or thereabouts. It is impossible to estimate the extent of the diamond-bearing country ; new fields are being discovered almostdaily. The more intelligent people here are of opinionthat the surrounding country is as likely to be rich indiamonds as the claims at present worked. A rush haslately been made to a farm on the Orange River, wherediamonds of 50, 47I-, 11, 10, and 8 carats have already beenfound, besides numerous smaller ones. Here, as elsewhere, the capitalist has a great advantage, GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 541
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since he can employ numbers of laborers, properly over-looked by trustworthy men, move them from place toplace as discoveries are made, and, if he is scientific, bringto his aid all the help that science can lend to the matter,which, however, is not much. The finding of diamonds is 542 SCIENCE RECORD. simplyto dig. fortune, nothing on the surface can tell you whereTig. Muscle and patience are the winning cards. Thosewho have been the longest here and have had the mostexperience are no wiser than those who came yesterday asregards the selection of a claim. Success is a questionwholly of time and perseverance and good luck, the lastbeing the principal item, since many have worked longand faithfully with little profit, while others have madesplendid finds almost with the first stroke of the shovel. The climate here is by no means the worst, yet it is ex-tremely trying to new-comers, especially to those unusedto an exposed life. During the summer months, the ther-mometer frequently regist

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