17 
became evident that a new and vast source of wealth was about 
to be opened to South Africa. 
Before describing the localities of the finds, it may be ad¬ 
visable to say a few w’ords on the present sources of Diamond 
supply. 
India, once the great diamond locality, is now nearly ex¬ 
hausted, and the Brazils, from whence at present the largest 
quantity is imported into the English market, is failing. 
When the gems ’were first found in the latter locality, European 
traders, who never dreamt of other than Indian diamonds, and 
who feared that if an infinite number were thrown on the 
market by this discovery of new mines, it would lead to a ma¬ 
terial depreciation of their stock, endeavoured to discourage 
their sale and spread ♦a report that the so-called Brazilian dia¬ 
monds were only the refuse of the Indian mines exported from 
Goa to the Brazils, and thence to Europe. A circumstance of a 
similar character to the recent one at the Cape. 
The production of the Brazilian mines has been enormous, 
but it is every day decreasing. The first few years after their 
discovery, the yield "was so enormous as, according to Mr. 
Emmanuel, to reduce the value of diamonds one-half. Now, 
however, the total produce does not exceed 240,000 carats 
annually of about the value of £1,000,000. In Borneo, the 
diamonds are found in the mountain chain besides the i^reat 
O 
river Bangor. 
To return to the African region. The extensive tract of 
country lying to the N. E. of the Cape Colony, and adjoining 
the W. border of Natal constitutes at the present time the seat 
of two Dutch communities which claim to rank as independent 
states. They are respectively designated as the Orange Biver 
Republic and the Transvaal Republic: the latter is the more 
northerly and lies beyond the Yaal or N. Branch of the Orange 
River. 
The great centre of the diamond district is right and left of 
the Pniel Mission Station, near the great bend of the Yaal 
River, 480 miles N E. of Cape Town, upwards of 300 miles due 
N. of Algoa Bay, and 200 miles W. by N. of D’Urban (Natal). 
Diamonds have been met with along the valley of the lower 
