DIAMOND: OCCURRENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA 



181 



It was soon discovered, however, that in this region diamonds were by no means 

 confined to the river sands. In December 1870, a digger from the Vaal observed that the 

 childi-en of a Boer, whose farm, " Vooruitzigt," was situated (P'ig. 38) on the plateau 



Fig. 37. Occurrence of diamond in South Afi-lca. (Scale, 1 : 1,500,000.) 



between the Vaal and Modder rivers, and about;fifteen miles south of the former, had collected 

 in the neighbourhood a number of small diamonds, of the true nature of which, however, 

 they were ignorant. According to another story, van Wyk, a Boer who lived at " Du Toif s 

 Pan" farm, situated in the same neighbourhood, discovered diamonds in the walls of his 

 dwelling-house which had been built of mud dug out from a neighbouring pond. Both 



