240 THE GREAT DIAMONDS OF THE WORLD.
to
Grahamstown, to Dr. Atherstone, to be tested, and and the doctor and
Bishop Ricards, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Grahamstown (one of the
most scientific men in South Africa) both pronounced it to be a diamond
of 22 1/2 carats. From Grahamstown the stone was sent to the then
Colonial Secretary, the Hon. Richard Southey, afterwards
Lieutenant-Governor of Griqualand West, who submitted the stone to the
best authorities at hand, and they all decided it to be a diamond. It
was then forwarded to the Queen's jewellers, Messrs. Hunt and Roskell,
who confirmed the decisions obtained in the colony, and valued the
stone at £500. At this valuation, it was purchased by his Excellency,
Sir Philip Wodehouse, who was Governer of the colony at the time. Mr.
O'Reilly, as soon as he had ascertained for certain that his first
stone was a diamond, set out to see if he could not find others, and
was not long before he found one of 8f carats, and this too was
purchased by Sir Philip Wodehouse for £200. This led to a good deal of
excitement throughout the country. Small diamonds were brought in by
natives. Then flashed the startling intelligence through the country
that a diamond of over 83 carats had been discovered. This turned out
to be true, and this is how it came about. Mr. Van Niekirk, from whom
Mr. O'Reilly obtained the first stone, hearing that it had turned out
to be a diamond, remembered that he had seen one of a similar character
in the possession of a native, and set out to find it. A Boer is not
long in getting hold of a native when he wants him, and Van Niekirk
soon had his man. The native had
