DIAMONDS. 233 



tlie numerous rock constituents which compose the bulk of the blue 

 ground. If this be the case a careful magnetic survey of the country 

 around Kimberley might prove of immense interest, scientific and 

 practical. Observations, at carefully selected stations, of the three 

 magnetic elements — the horizontal component of direction, the vertical 

 component of direction, and the magnetic intensity — would soou show 

 whether any large masses of iron exist within a certain distance of the 

 surface. It has been calculated that a mass of iron 500 feet in diam- 

 eter could be detected were it 10 miles below the surface. A magnetic 

 survey might also reveal other valuable diamantiferous pipes which, 

 owing to the absence of surface indications, would otherwise remain 

 hidden. 



METEORIC DIAMONDS. 



There is another diamond theory which appeals to the fancy. It is 

 said that the diamond is a direct gift from heaven, conveyed to earth in 

 meteoric showers. The suggestion^ I believe, was first broached by 

 A. Meydenbauer,^ who says: "The diamond can only be of cosmic 

 origin, having fallen as a meteorite at later periods of the earth's forma- 

 tion. The available localities of the diamond contain the residues of 

 not very compact meteoric masses which may, perhaps, have fallen in 

 historic ages, and which have penetrated more or less deeply, accord- 

 ing to the more or less resistant character 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 inclosed 

 diamonds have remained scattered in the river beds, while the fine, 

 light matrix has been swept 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, disinte- 

 grating 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 transformation of a 

 diamond. Long after this prediction was verified by Weiuschenk, who 

 found transparent crystals in the Ava meteorite. Mr. Fletcher has 

 found in two meteoric irons — one from Youndegin, East Australia, and 

 one from Crosbys Creek, United States — crystals absolutely similar to 

 those in the Ava meteorite. 



In 1886 a meteorite falling in Eussia contained, besides other consti- 

 tuents, about 1 per cent of carbon in light-gray grains, having the 

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



1 Chemical News, Vol. LXI, page 209, 1890. 



