Gillman
into the river, but by the summer of 1871 the territorial dispute was
raging so fiercely that the British felt compelled to step in. They
studied the matter for a few months, and in October announced their
decision: All the disputed area belonged to the Griquas. Within a few
days, Nicholas Water-boer made a present of the entire territory to
Queen Victoria, and in 1873 it was established as the Crown Colony of
Gri-qualand West. The Boers grumbled, but there was nothing much they
could do. The Orange Free State did not come off too badly; it still
had Jagersfontein, and eventually it received ninety thousand pounds
from the British by way of indemnity. The Transvaal never received a
shilling.
Through all the territorial disputes and outbursts of violence, the tone of the Diamond News was
invincibly urbane. Tough eggs though most of the diggers were, they
were always referred to as "Mr.'," and the stories of finds were
invariably couched in very polite language:
A Large Find:—Messrs. Vermaak and party found, yesterday morning, seven diamonds, the largest being 2Y2 carats.
Good
Fortune: We have been informed by one of the party that Messrs. Coxon,
Webster and others have found 27 diamonds, valued at £4000.
Who'll
Buy?—On Tuesday three navvies, lucky fellows, were hawking about at the
Klip Drift Diggings, a fine stone of 12 or 15 carats which they had
obtained at the Good Hope Diggings. They were anxious to sell it to
keep their party at work; they, however, refused £250.
Even when it was reporting on lawlessness, the paper sue-
