All the world over South Africa is famous for its DIAMOND-MINES and
its GOLD-MINES. The diamonds are found principally in Griqualand,
north of the Orange River, now a part of Cape Colony, but they are
also found in the Orange Free State. The diamond areas are very
circumscribed, the diamond-bearing "pipes" being supposed to be
craters of extinct volcanoes. The principal "pipes" are at KIMBERLEY
(28,718), in Griqualand. These constitute the richest diamond-fields
in the world. It is estimated that over $350,000,000 worth of diamonds
have been taken out of Kimberley since their first discovery there in
1867. The largest South African diamond yet found was worth $300,000,
but many other large ones have been found. The annual diamond export
now is about $20,000,000. For 1896 the export was $23,200,000; for
1897 a little less. The production and export are strictly limited, so
that prices may not depreciate. Next in interest to the diamond-fields
are the gold-mines. These so far have been found principally in the
South African Republic, or "Transvaal" as it is popularly called, in
the "rand," or "reef," near the far-famed town of JOHANNESBURG
(102,078). Since gold was first discovered in the rand (1871)
$250,000,000 worth has been taken out. The annual output now is nearly
$50,000,000, but it is estimated that before the rand can be exhausted
$2,250,000,000 worth of gold must be taken out--an amount much greater
than the total public debt of the United States, national, state, and
municipal. But north of the Transvaal, in Rhodesia, especially in
Mashonaland, is a territory popularly called the "Land of Ophir,"
where mining operations are only just begun, but where gold is
supposed to be even more richly stored than in the Transvaal. Of this
district the newly built town of SALISBURY is the centre. Other
mineral products of South Africa are coal in Natal, mined at
NEWCASTLE, and copper in the northwest of Cape Colony, shipped at PORT
NOLLOTH.