96 THE GREAT DIAMONDS OF THE WORLD.
"
Illicit Diamond Buying" is quite a business in South Africa. The police
have done a good deal to reduce the nefarious operations of the
receivers at Kimberley; but The Friend of the Free State, in an
editorial article, recently complains that at Jagersfon-tein, the
illicit traffic is carried on without let or hindrance. Says this
colonial journal, under date, December 1st, 1881 :—" Some of the best
companies are paying out £300 weekly for expenses, which is about
recouped by the diamonds handed over and sold on account of the company
; but there is little or no profit, and, consequently, no dividends.
Now, it is not too much to suspect that the larger diamonds are stolen,
the proceeds of sale of which would, perhaps, yield a handsome
dividend. It is passing strange, too, that Kimberley has, according to
the telegrams and the public journals, yielded more large white stones
since the working of Jagers-fontein than before. Even the famous '
Porter-Rhodes ' diamond had to remain in its matrix at Kimberley, until
Jagersfontein produced large first-water stones! We understand from
correspondents, and from gentlemen recently from Fauresmith and
Jagersfontein, that the arrangements of the illicit diamond buying are
perfect between that mine and Kimberley; and, seeing that the crime of
illicit diamond buying is not included in the extradition treaty
between this state and Griqualand West, they are likely to remain so !
There is also a good deal of righteous indignation among those who are
claimholders, diggers, and shareholders in the various companies, and
some even go so far as to assert that
