Dr, Atherstone — On Diamonds at the Cape. 209 



of the Cape diamond discovery to be "false," " an imposture," "a 

 bubble scheme," got up to promote the expenditure of capital in 

 in searching for this precious substance in the colony; and stating 

 that, from the geological character of the district which he had 

 lately very carefully and thoroughly examined, it was impossible 

 that diamonds had been or could ever be found there. 



As it was mainly through me that this accidental discovery was 

 brought to light, and as I am therefore by implication accused of 

 being one of the impostors in this fraudulent " bubble scheme," I trust 

 I shall be allowed to make a few remarks in refutation of so extra- 

 ordinary and unfounded a charge. 



To enable your readers to judge of the truth and correctness of 

 Mr. Gregory's statements and conclusions, I will give a brief history 

 of the diamond discovery so far as I am concerned ; and I forward 

 to Professor Tennant, of King's College, by this mail, the first three 

 original letters received by me, which may be examined by Mr. 

 Gregory, Mr. Emmanuel, or any other person interested in this 

 matter. In March, 1867, I received through the Post-ofiice from 

 Colesberg, a letter from Mr. Lorenzo Boyes, Clerk of the Peace for 

 that district, of which the following is a verbatim copy : — 



Colesberg. March 12, 1867. 

 Mt Dear Sir, — I enclose a stone which has been handed to me by Mr. John 

 O'Eeilly as having been picked up on a farm in the Hope Town district, and as he 

 thinks it is of some value I send the same to you to examine, which you must please 

 return to me. — Yours very sincerely, L. Boyes. 



In the envelope with this note was diamond No. 1 quite loose, 

 the letter not registered nor sealed, simply fastened by gum as usual. 

 I had never seen a rough diamond before, but upon taking its sp. gr. 

 and hardness, examining it by polarized light, etc., I at once decided 

 that it was indeed a genuine diamond of considerable value ; and 

 perceiving the great importance of such a discovery to the colony, 

 I at once wrote to the Hon. Eichard Southey, Colonial Secretary, 

 announcing the fact, and suggesting that it should be sent to the 

 Paris Exhibition, and afterwards sold for the benefit of the finder. 

 On receipt of my letter in Cape Town, the Colonial Secretary at 

 once telegraphed to me to send it up to Cape Town and he Avould 

 send it to the Crown agents for transmission to the Paris Exhibition. 

 I gave it to Sir Percy Douglas, our Lieutenant-Governor, who kindly 

 had it convej'^ed by the next steamer to Cape Town, where it was 

 examined by the French Consul, M. Herriette, and other competent 

 judges, who confirmed my opinion ; it was afterwards sent to the 

 Paris Exhibition, and purchased by the Governor of the Colony, Sir 

 Philip Woodhouse, for £500. 



Now if there be any fraud or imposture with the Cape diamonds, 

 it must be with the discovery of this, the first and most valuable 

 diamond, and I will therefore go rather more minutely into par- 

 ticulars as to the parties connected with it. It was by mere accident 

 that a Dutch farmer named Schalk van Niekerk, seeing some cliildren 

 of a Mr. Jacob, another Boer, playing with some bright stones, 

 noticed this one in particular, and asked the mother to^ell it to him. 



VOL. VI. — NO. LIX. 14 



