Gregory — Gold in South Africa, 561 



would have estimated it to within five or ten pounds in five minutes. 

 [For these various valuations consult any file of Cape papers for 

 May, June, and July, 1868.] 



It is said at Hopetown that a native has a very large diamond, but 

 will not part with it, nor show it to any one, nor has any one, I 

 believe, seen it ; and, therefore, I suspect it to be a myth, as a Griqua 

 would only be too glad to convert it into money or cattle, etc. Here 

 is another fact which certainly does not prove much for the diamond 

 discovery : — A person had a farm in the neighbourhood of Hope- 

 town, which he wanted to exchange for reasons best known to him- 

 self. He got a resident in Hopetown, who is one of the authorities 

 on the diamond question, to give him a certificate that he had found 

 two diamonds, knowing at the same time it was false. This diamond 

 valuer gave him the required certificate without seeing the diamonds^ 

 through the help of which he exchanged his farm with the govern- 

 ment — he afterwards confessing that he had not found two diamonds 

 on the farm, but merely wished to exchange for a better locality. I 

 can now only conclude by expressing my conviction that the whole 

 diamond discovery in S. Africa is an imposture — a Bubble scheme. 



V. — On the Gold-fields (?) of South Africa. 

 By James E. Gregory. 



GOLD is said to have been found in South Africa, and very pro- 

 bably it is. I have myself an undoubted specimen from the copper 

 mines in Namaqualand, in which the gold is imbedded and asso- 

 ciated with silicate of copper or chrysocolla ; but with regard to the 

 " diggings," as they are called by the Cape papers, and which are 

 situated some considerable distance up beyond the Great Orange 

 Eiver, and north and west of Natal, the question is whether the 

 gold is in sufiicient quantity to pay for the labour and expense 

 of its production. It is certainly very premature to call this auri- 

 ferous district ''Gold diggings" and " Gold fields," when really not 

 ten ounces of gold have as yet been produced altogether in some- 

 thing like twelve months. Parties have been up and returned, each 

 on some very trivial excuse. Some travellers describe the gold 

 quartz as containing gold in large quantities, and yet they have not 

 obtained satisfactory specimens themselves, although these " rich beds 

 (it is said) extended over many miles of country, and rich gold quartz 

 could be had almost for the trouble of picking it up." The great idea 

 seems to be in getting persons to come out on a wild-goose-chase, 

 when nothing definite is known about these wonderful " diggings." 

 Ancient furnaces are said to be found in the neighbourhood, and of 

 course plenty of fuel ! ! 



I have just returned from South Africa, though I confess that I 

 have not been to the so-called gold-diggings. I simply read the 

 reports and communications in the Cape newspapers, and having 

 mixed with many people acquainted with the district, I have formed 

 an opinion of the probability or plausibility of the reports, and 



