Photo, by M. H. Hayes. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



DIAMONDS. 



THESE precious stones form such a large industry in 

 South Africa, that it may not be inappropriate if I 

 give them a short chapter to themselves. 



They are obtained either by mining or by surface washing. 

 The former operation is incomparably the more important 

 one of the two, and as it requires a large capital, it is worked 

 by companies. The latter is the sole kind of diamond hunt- 

 ing open to private enterprise, and is pursued, principally, on 

 the Vaal River, with financial results which are not as a rule 

 very satisfactory. Although the diamonds found there are 

 inclined to be small and of not very frequent occurence, they 

 are generally of fine colour. 



A diamond mine appears to occupy the site of some old 

 volcanic eruption, during which a mass of liquid material burst 

 through the overlying strata on its way towards the surface, 



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