1897.] on Diamonds. 499 



perhaps, have fallen in historic ages, and which have penetrated 

 more or less deeply, according to the more or less resistant char- 

 acter of the surface where they fell. Their remains are crumbling 

 away on exposure to the air and sun, and the rain has long ago 

 washed away all prominent masses. The enclosed diamonds have 

 remained scattered in the river beds, while the fine light matrix has 

 been swej)t away." 



According to this hypothesis, the so-called volcanic pipes are 

 simply holes bored in the solid earth by the impact of monstrous 

 meteors — the larger masses boring the holes, while the smaller 

 masses, disintegrating in their fall, distributed diamonds broadcast. 

 Bizarre as such a theory may appear, I am bound to say there are 

 many circumstances which show that the notion of the Heavens 

 raining diamonds is not impossible. 



In 1846 a meteorite fell in Hungary (the " Ava meteorite") 

 which was found to contain graphite in the cubic crystalline system. 

 G. Rose thought this cubic graphite was produced by the transfor- 

 mation of a diamond. Long after this prediction was verified by 

 Weinschenk, who found transparent crystals in the Ava meteorite. 

 Mr. Fletcher has found in two meteoric irons — one from Youndegin, 

 East Australia, and one from Crosby's Creek, United States — 

 crystals absolutely similar to those in the Ava meteorite. 



In 1880 a meteoric falling in Russia contained, besides other 

 constituents, about 1 per cent, of carbon in light grey grains, having 

 the hardness of diamond, and burning in oxygen to carbonic acid. 



Daubree says the resemblance is manifest between the dia- 

 mantiferous earth of South Africa and the Ava meteorite, of which 

 the stony substance consists almost entirely of peridot. Peridot 

 being the inseparable companion of meteoric iron, the presence of 

 diamonds in the meteorites of Ava, of Youndegin, and of Crosby's 

 Creek, bring them close to the terrestrial diamantiferous rocks. 



Hudleston maintains that the bronzite of the Kimberley blue ground 

 is in a condition much resembling the bronzite grains of meteorites ; 

 whilst Maskelyne says that the bronzite crystals of Dutoitspan 

 resemble closely those of the bronzite of the meteor of Breitenbach, 

 but are less rich in crystallographic planes. 



But the most striking confirmation of the meteoric theory comes 

 from Arizona. Here, on a broad open plain, over an area about five 

 miles diameter, were scattered one or two thousand masses of metallic 

 iron, the fragments varying in weight from half a ton to a fraction 

 of an ounce. There is little doubt these masses formed part of a 

 meteoric shower, although no record exists as to when the fall took 

 place. Curiously enough, near the centre, where most of the 

 meteorites have been found, is a crater with raised edges three- 

 quarters of a mile in diameter, and about 600 feet deep, bearing 

 exactly the appearance which would be produced had a mighty mass 

 of iron or falling star struck the ground, scattered in all directions, 

 and buried itself deep under the surface. Altogether ten tons of 



