234 DIAMONDS. 



Paubree says the resemblance is manifest between the diamantiferous 

 earth of South Africa and the Ava meteorite, of which the stony sub- 

 stance consists almost entirely of peridot. Peridot being the insepa- 

 rable companion of meteoric iron, the presence of diamonds in the 

 meteorites of Ava, of Youndegin, and of Crosbys 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 Breiteubach, but are less 

 rich in crystallographic x)lanes. 



But the most striking confirmation of the meteoric theory comes from 

 Arizona. Here, on a broad open plain, over an area about 5 miles 

 diameter, were scattered 1,000 or 2,000 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 center, 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, 

 scattering in all directions, and buried itself deep under the surface. 

 Altogether 10 tons of this iron have already been collected, and speci- 

 mens of tlie Canyon Diablo meteorite are in most collectors' cabinets. 



An ardent mineralogist, the late Dr. Foote, in cutting a section of 

 this meteorite, found the tools were injured by something vastly harder 

 than metallic iron, and an emery wheel used in grinding the iron had 

 been ruined. He examined the specimen chemically, and soon after 

 announced to the scientific world that the Canyon Diablo meteorite 

 contained black and transparent diamonds. This startling discovery 

 was afterwards verified by Professors Friedel and Moissan, who found 

 that the Canyon Diablo meteorite contained the three varieties of 

 carbon — diamond (transparent and black), graphite, and amorphous 

 carbon. Since this revelation, the search for diamonds in meteorites 

 has occupied the attention of chemists all over the world. 



I am enabled to show you photographs of true diamonds I have 

 myself extracted from pieces of the Canyon Diablo meteorite, 5 pounds 

 of which I have dissolved in acids for this purpose — an act of vandal- 

 ism in the cause of science for which I hope mineralogists will forgive 

 me. A very fine slab of the meteorite, weighing about 7 pounds, which 

 has escaped the solvent, is on the table before you. 



Here, then, we have absolute proof of the truth of the meteoric 

 theory. Under atmospheric influences the iron would rapidly oxidize 

 and rust away, coloring the adjacent soil with red oxide of iron. The 

 meteoric diamonds would be unaffected, and would be left on the sur- 

 face to be found by explorers when oxidation had removed the last 



