A recent arrival at Cape Town from Luderitzbucht (German South-West Africa) had sup plied interesting information regarding the remarkable diamond finds in that territory. The newly-found fields, writes a correspondent at Cape Town, are situated about seven miles from the coast, and claims have already been pegged out over a considerable area, the pegs in one claim being at high-water mark actually under water.
The method of recovering the diamonds in the proclaimed area is simplicity itself. The Ovambo natives, wearing blue goggles to protect their eyes from the blazing sun, are drawn up in a long line, and on hands and knees pick their way slowly over the sand. As they go they fill a fine meshed sieve with the sand, and this is afterwards plunged into a sea-water bath, the diamonds falling to the bottom by specific gravity.
The diamonds are then picked out with an ordinary table knife, and placed in a pickle bottle. The average cost of recovery is about 1s. per carat, and the price obtained is 30s. per carat.
The Irish Times
December 30th, 1908.