and
including the greater part of the decomposed portion of the igneous
area, largely on account of its peculiar character, as he suspected
that it contained some "mineral." Mr. Huddleston was searching, on his
hands and knees, for indications of copper or lead ores and his
attention was attracted by the luster of the stone, which he recognized
immediately as differing widely from the somewhat abundant small quartz
crystals which are scattered over the area. The diamond, which is a
white stone weighing 4-1/2 carats, was lying among the pebbles on the
surface of the thin layer of soil which overlies the green earth near
the southern edge of the igneous area where the decomposed peridotite
is much cut up by small gullies.
The
afternoon of the same day, while riding on horseback into Murfreesboro
and carefully scrutinizing the ground, he saw a second diamond lying in
the ruts of the road, about 500 feet north of the first and also within
the igneous area. This stone is likewise white and weighs 3 carats.
Although
he and his family searched the area over very carefully, no more
diamonds were found until September 8, when Mr. Huddleston found the
third, also lying among the pebbles on the surface of the soil, above
the green earth, about 400 feet northeast of the place where the first
was found. This stone is yellow, a flattened, triangular hexoctahcdron,
and weighs one-half carat.
The
stones were sent by Mr. Huddleston to persons in Little Rock, who,
recognizing the probably great importance of the discovery, immediately
secured options on Mr. Huddleston's land and on considerable territory
in the vicinity, including the greater part of the igneous area. They
then came on to New York and conferred with one of the authors (Mr.
Kunz), who was, naturally, deeply interested in the discovery. The
junior author (Mr. Washington) was called in and was intrusted with the
geologic and petrologic examination of the locality, where he spent
some time during the month of October. Pits were sunk in various places
over the igneous area, the green and yellow earth was screened and
panned, and a careful search was made for more diamonds on the surface,
but none were discovered. Various considerations, which need not be
discussed here, precluded the possibility of the ground having been
"salted." The points of similarity, as well as of dissimilarity, with
the South African pipes were recognized, and the conclusion was reached
that the diamonds were probably derived from the peridotite; though, in
view of the fact that all three had been found among the surface
pebbles, which had come from the conglomerate, the possibility that
this may have been their source was not excluded from consideration,
and further extensive prospecting was recommended. This was
subsequently done to some extent, though interfered with by bad
weather, and several more diamonds were found by Mr. Huddleston and
members of his family, as well as by other persons, all on the surface
of the ground but within the igneous area.
In
January, 1907, the two authors visited the locality together, and made
a careful study of the igneous area and its surroundings. While the
resemblance of the conglomerate to the diamond-bearing Brazilian
cascalho was recognized, the facts that careful examination and
panning of this and of the river gravels led to negative results, and
that up to the time of the authors' visit as many as 26 diamonds had
been found, all within the igneous area, though all likewise on the
surface
