ON THE OCCURRENCE OF DIAMONDS
In Griqualand West. — Mention has been made of some of the smaller mines in the Kimberley and Barkly West Districts.
In
the Kimberley District Otto's Kopje Mine has not been worked during the
last year. The yield of the ground has evidently been too small to pay
the cost of extraction, as the Company has been reconstructed several
times. From all accounts it is a true pipe or crater carrying diamonds.
The mine is situated about a mile and a half northwest of Kimberley.
Kamfersdam Mine. —
This mine is situated about 3-1/2 miles north and west of Kimberley.
The output for 1902 was returned as 320,213 loads of blue ground. The
number of men employed was 42 whites and 550 natives. The ground yields
about 6 carats per 100 loads; the diamonds being of an inferior quality
averaging about 22 shillings per carat.
In
the Barkly West District which comprises that part of Griqualand West
lying on the west side of the Vaal River, the returns for the year 1902
showed that 38,510 carats of diamonds were found, valued at .£130,099.
In the Frank Smith Mine work was restarted in July, 1902. This mine
comprises about 450 claims and is being worked in the open. The quality
of the diamonds is excellent, averaging at the present time about 60
shillings per carat. The average yield of the ground is about 5 carats
per 100 loads. A test of 900 loads of blue ground gave 90 carats of
diamonds.
Otto's Prospect Mine.—This
is a small mine joined to the Frank Smith Mine by a narrow neck of blue
ground. Very little work has been done in this mine and but little is known as to the yield of the ground. These mines are situated about 50 miles west of Kimberley.
The Leicester Mine. —
The mine contains 100 claims. It is a true pipe and the quality of the
diamonds is good ; unfortunately the yield is very low, averaging only
2 to 3 carats per 100 loads. The number of
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