I'KKCIOUS STONES. 



others 100 feet, yet all were worked independ- 

 ently. Al the >lde- were t-ndlos licit:* with 

 Dodcetl t'nr carrying tin- earth. Tin- roult of 

 thi> was that ruck was dropped so recklessly in 

 transit that it was dangerous to stuml around the 

 cdijes of the claims. Not only was the loss of 

 life great from this source, but also from the 

 falling of immense mas>es of reef, loosened by 

 the blasting, which sometimes buried a score of 

 men at once. Steam railroads are now run into 

 the mine, parts of which have been lev- 

 eled, and millions of tons of reef have 

 been removed. The yellow soil on the 

 surface, which overlay the blue stuff, pul- 

 verized so readily that it could be talcen 

 to the washing machine direct ; but as 

 claims were sunk down into the blue, the 

 rock grew harder, and dynamite became 

 necessary. After the earth is raised, it is 

 put on the sorting ground,where it is dis- 

 integrated by the action of water and 



nets (some of which, exceedingly rich in color, 

 are sold under the name of "Cape Kul>n -, '') ami 

 other heavy minerals are concentrated t< 

 in the lower part of the "compound.' 

 thoroughly does it pulverize the rock and earth 

 that all the diamonds, even of the size of a pin 

 head, are saved. 



A pri/e of t'.~,000 was offered for the best tun- 

 nel or shaft system for use at the KimU-rley 

 , and it was awarded to the Jones system. 



the atmosphere. It is then broken by hand and 

 taken to the " compound," or diamond-sorting 

 machine, into which the rock is thrown from 

 the sorting and breaking floors. After being 

 more finely ground, it is passed into large vats 

 containing immense centrifugal wheels, by 

 means of which the rock is finely divided. The 

 lighter materials such as mud, <|iiartz, and 

 mica are then floated out, while diamond gar- 



which is on the cofferdam princi- 

 ple. There are 7 shafts and in- 

 clined planes in the Kimberley 

 mine alone, all sunk at some point 

 in the reef outside the mine. 

 From 11,000,000 to 18,000,000 gal- 

 lons of water were annually hoist- 

 ed from this mine at a cost of (irf. 

 a load of 100 gallons, in -addi- 

 tion to many miles of aerial tram- 

 ways, there are over 170 miles of 

 tramway around the 4 Kimberley 

 mines, 2,500 horses, mules, and 

 oxen, and 350 steam engines, shafts, and other ap- 

 pliances, representing 4,000 horse power, are em- 

 ployed in the work. A million pounds are 

 annually expended for labor, and over 1,000,- 

 000 for fuel and other supplies. The gross 

 capital of the companies is nearly 10,000.000. 

 Over 10.000 natives, each receiving t'l a week, 

 and 12.000 European overseers at an average 

 wage of 5, are employed. The old system of 



