Correspondence — Mr. J. R. Gregory, 333 



Meyer led the party to a quarry of the Lower Greensand west of 

 Guildford, where the upper member of this interesting formation is 

 well seen, with its oblique bedding and numerous regular faultings, 

 and where its fragmentary shells, corals, and other organisms can be 

 largely collected. A hasty visit to St. Catherine's Chapel, on the 

 knoll of Lower Greensand, overlooking the railway, the valley, and 

 Shalford Park, ended the expedition, which, favoured throughout 

 with glorious sunshine, now broke up, amidst congratulations on a 

 successful day and a happy meeting of mutual pleasure and instruc- 

 tion, with a hearty desire to meet again in that beautiful county 

 under the guidance of the same good leaders. — Mining Journal, June 

 12, 1869. 



coiai^ESipoisriDiKiTsrciE. 



DISCOVERY OF DIAMONDS, ETC., AT THE CAPE.i 



SiK, — Having read in your May (1869) Number, p. 208, Dr. 

 Atherstone's reply to my article (printed in the Geol. Mag. Vol. V. 

 p. 558, for December, 1868), entitled "Diamonds from the Cape of 

 Good Hope," allow me to add a few words in rejoinder. 



And, firstly. Dr. Atherstone says (p. 209). "As it was mainly 

 through me that this accidental discovery was brought to light . . . 

 I am therefore, by implication, accused of being one of the impostors 

 in this fraudulent ' bubble scheme,' " — allow me to assure Dr. Ather- 

 stone that I did not intend in any way to implicate him, or indeed 

 any one personally as acting designedly to mislead ; my motive 

 (whatever Dr. Atherstone or the Cape Newspaper Editors may in- 

 sinuate to the contrary) was honestly to caution the scientific — and 

 through them the public at large — against placing implicit reliance 

 upon the newspaper reports sent home from that colony respecting 

 these wonderful diamond discoveries, which, if not altogether with- 

 out foundation in fact, were at that time, to say the least, grossly 

 exaggerated statements. 



Secondly, the same writer states (p. 213), "Mr. Gregory told me 

 his object was not to search for diamonds but for Nickel and other 

 minerals usually found associated with them," etc. I admit that I 

 said I might look for Nickel minerals, but I deny most emphatically 

 ha^nng said that I was going to search for Nickel and other minerals 

 associated with diamonds, as Nickel ores are never found associated 

 with diamonds. Indeed I am quite certain that not a single person 

 in Cape Colony had any idea of the real object of my visit (whatever 

 they may now assert to the contrary) until the appearance of Mr. 

 Emanuel's letter in the " Journal of the Society of Arts" informed 

 them, and subsequently my owia article in your Magazine already 

 referred to. In matters of this kind I have learned to keep my own 

 counsel. 



Thirdly, as to my geological observations — (1) That with the 

 knowledge we at present possess of the diamond-bearing rocks in 



^ This letter was sent for publication in the June Number, but we were compelled 

 to postpone it, with other matter, from want of space. — Edit. 



