bly.
He gives it as: First quality, eight per cent.; second quality,
twenty-five per cent.; third quality, twenty per cent.; and the balance
" bort."
Great
precautions are taken to prevent theft and illicit trading in diamonds
in Africa. The native kaffirs or " boys" employed in the Kimberley
mines are kept in a " compound" and closely watched. A law is in
force—the " Diamond Trade Act," or the " I. D. B. Act," as it is
commonly called— to prevent illicit buying. Notwithstanding the severe
punishment accorded by the Special Court to offenders, a considerable
quantity of diamonds are smuggled out.
The
Jagersfontein and the Koffyfontein mines in the Orange Free State
produce a finer grade of diamonds than either of the others; small
quantities only are found in the Koffyfontein.
The diamonds found in the Leicester mine are hard, white, and cross-grained, and have a peculiar frosted appearance.
Fine
white or bluish-white stones are seldom found larger than ten carats,
and will not exceed two per cent, of the total output.
The
Kimberley stones are usually of poor quality or fragmentary, and if of
good color, are generally specked. Ninety per cent, of the African bort
comes from this mine.
All sorts and colors are found in the De Beers. They do not average as good in color as the Kimberleys, but run larger.
The average of the Bultfontein is the poorest of the four Kimberley mines. The crystals run small and imperfect.
Du
Toits Pan crystals are well formed, and the yellow octahedrons are
often large. The stones from this mine average better than the others
in the Kimberley district, though the yield in weight is less than that
of the Kimberley and De Beers. Streeter gives the yield per load of
sixteen
