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DIAMOND DIOaiNG IN SOUTH AFEICA. 



By James Andrew. 



Mr. President, — I feel that some apology is necessary 

 for introducing a subiect quite foreign to Tasmania, and 

 which I am unable to treat scientifically, but, as few people, 

 except those who have visited the diamond fields of South 

 Africa, can accurately appreciate the most important part the 

 digging industry has played in promoting the welfare of the 

 country, a brief b^t very imperfect sketch of the mines, and of 

 the method of working them, may prove of interest. Diamonds 

 may yet attract much attention in Australasia as they have 

 been found in four of the five continental colonics and also in New 

 Zealand, and they are now being systematically sought for with 

 profit to the diggers in the northern part of New South Wales. I 

 may add that my paper has been prepared, not from notes as a 

 casual visitor to the fields, but from the experiences of more than 

 two years as a digger and prospector, and as an ofiicial intimately 

 connected with diamond mining as there carried out. 



That portion of the British possessions in South Africa, generally 

 known as the " Diamond Fields," or Griqualand West, was, at 

 the time of the first discovery there of precious stones, under 

 the rival jurisdiction of two native chiefs, Adam Kok and Nicholas 

 Waterboer, the latter of whom received recognition of his claims 

 to the sovereignty of the territory in the shape of a pension from 

 the Imperial Government, awarded as compensation for the annex- 

 ation of his country. An additional claim was, however, made by 

 the adjoining republic of the Orange Free State to the area enclosed 

 between their existing western boundary and the Orange and Vaal 

 rivers, on the latter of which, and in its immediate neighbourhood, 

 the first diamond diggings were established. During the stirring 

 times following the discoveries of 1870, the Free State Government 

 exercised such authority as they were able over the various mining 

 camps on the Vaal ; attempts which were treated with derision by 

 the hardy and independent diggers. Soon the impossibility of 

 the territory being properly governed by such means, and the 

 absurdity of the Chief Watertoer's efforts in a similar direction 

 over the area claimed by him, led to the hoisting of the British flag 

 in the year 1871, and the proclamation of the Imperial Province of 

 Griqualand West. 



For some years the Government of the Free State ventilated their 

 grievances in being thus deprived of a valuable piece of country, 

 and the justice of the claim was admitted, as the sum of £90,000 

 was awarded by Her Majesty's Government as indemnity, and 

 concessions were arranged as to the direction of certain railways 

 then proposed for construction in the Cape Colony, and since 



