148 THE GREAT DIAMONDS OF THE WORLD.
Majesty
and His Royal Highness Prince Leopold, I broke the seal of the envelope
covering the diamond, and handed it to the Queen, Her Majesty being the
first to see it out of South Africa. At a glance I think, she saw its
great beauty, and I was more assured when the question followed ' Is it
really from the Cape ?' I think you will agree with me that people in
England know but very little of the Cape, and under-estimate its worth.
I explained to Her Majesty how we are robbed by a low class of men
known to the diggers as ' Illicit Diamond Dealers,' and how closely we
are obliged to watch the natives in consequence, necessarily entailing
very heavy cost. Her Majesty after examining the stone thoroughly, and
evidently understanding the subject, congratulated me upon its great
purity, as well as upon my good fortune in having secured it from the h
nds of the illicit diamond buyers. The Queen then withdrew, and Prince
Leopold, accompanied by Princess Beatrice entered, and on their
inspection "of the stone, I was equally pleased with the interest
displayed, and the kind expressions used. After exhibiting the stone to
a number of ladies and genÂtlemen of the Court, I was taken by Captain
Bigge to what is known as Osborne Cottage, then the temÂporary
residence of the Empress Eugenie, where we were received very kindly,
and had not waited many minutes when the Empress entered. This audience
was most entertaining, as I found the Empress to be quite an authority
on the subject, and in possession of the history of all diamonds of
note. The Empress said everything good possible of the stone, and
