Diamond Prospecting.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4793, 10 September 1883, Page 4

Diamond Prospecting.

Mr J. S. M. Jaoobsen, who for the last few weeks has been engaged in further prospecting operations at Alford Forest, returned to town on Saturday morning, bringing with him some thousands of orystals similar to thoße previously prooured in the district. These, it ts said, had been obtained, as were the others, olose to the surfaoe of the ground, the unfavourable weather having prevented deep sinking. The latter operation is, it ia understood, to be begun at onoe, now that the weather has oleared up. On Saturday afternoon, a meeting of the directors of the Pioneer and Koh-i-noor Companies was held at Mr E. Wiokes' offioe, when Mr Jacobsen waß present. The proceedings were private, but it has transpired that tho meoting decided to send a number of the orystals to Mr T. O. Kelsey, with instructions to him to endeavour to sell them, in order to ascertain their commercial value. It is stated that two gentlemen who have had a long experience at the Cape diamond fields were also present, and that they pronounoed the whole of the orystals not to be diamonds, though they admitted that the appearance of the stones was such as to oause them to be very liable to be mistaken for those gems. They also expressed the opinion that, from the desoription given them of tho country, and from an examination of the various minoruis found there, it would be worth while to thoroughly prospeot the distriot in order to discover if it really was diamond if eroue. It is understood that arrangements are being made for these gontlemen to visit Alford Forest, in order to givo them an opportunity of forming a decided opinion on the character of the country.