her great-great-grandfather, Richard Leigh Brant- marriage between the complainant and the counsel for the respondents, the right to mense profits was waived. ley. Her desire was fulfilled. My son John wrote and filed the bill of complaint, in the equity case of "Honora Brantley Hall vs. Edmund Willoughby and wife." The respondents, represented by Gaston Willoughby acknowledged, in their answer, the justice of the complainant's claim; and the decree of the court declared the young lady the rightful owner of the Brantley Hall estate. Gaston Willoughby and Honora Brantley Hall were married on the Centennial birthday of our national independence, the fourth day of July, 1876, a few weeks after the issuance of the decree of St. Mary's County Circuit Court, sitting in equity, which restored to her the estate which had been unjustly withheld from her family for a Of course, on account of the engagement of century. SEARCHING FOR DIAMONDS. IT is barely ten years since the first diamond ever found in the Cape Colony was taken away from some little Dutch children who were playing with it, and now the annual value of the exports in these gems is to be counted by tens of thousands of pounds. Nor is there any fear that the diamondiferous soil is being worked out; on the contrary, the greater the depth reached by the elaborate machinery which is daily taking the place of the more simple contrivances originally used, the more satisfactory are the results. To the generality of readers the geography of South Africa is so vague and unknown that a more particular description of the localities whence the diamonds are brought cannot fail to be a necessary prelude to the due comprehension of any information regarding them. Some 600 miles inland, as as the crow would fly, to the northeast of Capetown, lies a small territory lately acquired by the British Empire by cession from the Chief of the Griquas, and known as Griqualand West. A certain rather important portion of it is still claimed in amicable fashion by the Orange Free State, and the exact question of the boundary line is barely settled. Only 100 miles from north to south and 150 from east to west, it yet attracts a population which is numerically great as compared to the meagre returns from other parts of the colony. 15,000 white people, 10,000 colored and 20,000 native laborers make up a respectable total of inhabitants, especially as they are nearly all centred in one spot. Diamonds were at first found singly and scattered along the course of the Orange and Vaal rivers, and diggings were established in various promising spots. Attempts were also made to find whether the natives had ever thought it worth while to collect and preserve any of the shining stones, and in this way the famous "Star of South Africa" was purchased from a Caffre witch-doctor, but no other equally valuable stones have since come to light in the same way. The digging at first was mere surface scratching, and it was only five years ago that the now famous Kimberley mine, originally known by the rough-and-ready name of New Rush, started into existence. Unfortunately, diamond digging is fatal to the symmetry or beauty of a landscape, and Kimberley resembles nothing so much as a giant ant-heap crumbled into ruins, with the swarming inhabitants busy repairing damages. But no filling-up, smoothing-over process is really at work; each day more earth is turned over, fresh claims, divided and subdivided into minutest sections, are being worked, and over all the confused heap of excavations stretches a labyrinthine net-work of wire rope, seventy feet above, by which to haul up the buckets of wash-dirt. The first diamonds were found very close to the surface by the river banks, and even heavy rains would affect the quantity discovered. They used to be washed out of the gravelly soil by a cradle, such as is used by gold-diggers, and, considering the rude and imperfect nature of the process, the quantity found even then and the quality of the stones were suggestive of vast treasures still concealed. Yet the report of more than one geologist sent out expressly for the purpose was that South Africa was distinctly non-diamondiferous, and that the stones found by the river-side were accidental, and the claims would be worked out at a depth of five or six feet, which was actually the case. In spite of all this, diggers swarmed along the valley of the Vaal, camps sprung up in all directions, solitary Boers who had not seen half a dozen people together in their lives woke of a morning to find as many hundreds hard at work by their drift or waiting to ask at what price they would sell their barren acres. Of course the vicissitudes of fortune were great, and men were ruined or made wealthy by turns, and by turns the fame of the South African Diamond Fields rose and fell. It was not until the system of dry digging had been fairly established-five years ago, at New Rush-rechristened the Kimberley mine-that diamond digging took its place as one of the recognized industries of the world, and that a large, thriving town has sprung up around the small surface which encloses unknown wealth. At first the digging was hasty and superficial, as might be expected, but when the ground came to be more equally parcelled out, the debris already thrown up and supposed to have been carefully searched yielded, by the new process of waterwashing brought to bear on it, diamonds to the value of upwards of £1,000,000. In fact, the richness of the soil of this especial mine will be best understood by the statement that from 90 to 95 per cent. of all the diamonds exported from the Cape come from the Kimberley mine, and yet its surface only extends over some nine acres. For every feet it has been worked down the average yield has been in value £100,000, and at a depth of 80 feet below the surface diamondiferous ground has been struck. In spite of these stubborn figures and facts, it will, however, always be a mystery to geologists why so great a profusion of diamonds should be hidden in ground bearing so few of the characteristics of the best-known diamond mines elsewhere. It can only be accounted for by a theory of eruption, and this is supported by the constant intrusion of broken rock, limestone, shale, and basalt into the true diamondiferous ground. Besides which, it is also a singular fact that different parts of the mine-and it should be recollected how close such parts must be in so small an area— produce totally different diamonds as to color and weight. These precious nine acres pay a royalty of £6 per annum for every 31 feet square, and there is besides a license on the diamonds found. The mine at Kimberley is surrounded, as are most of the mines, by a girdle of distinctly non-diamondiferous rock, and it is from this sort of basin-like form that the Dutch took their word "pan" as the earliest name for the depressions holding the rich deposits here and there. In contradistinction to this is the term "kojes," a hillock; and although diamonds have been found in small quantities in the "kojes," still it is into the "pans" or reservoirs that the true diamondiferous material has evidently been washed. It is curious, too, that these "pans" are all surrounded by the same sort of ring of porphyry, or green stone, and that other precious stones of less value, such as emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, are also found, with large quantities of garnets. The water struck below the surface in some of the "pan" is salt, and the color of the diamond-bearing clay changes from yellow ochrous to bluish-gray as it gets deeper. Indeed, many new and strange things come to light in searching for diamonds. MY RIVAL'S PORTRAIT. BY EMILIE TOLMAN. I WAS never considered a superstitious man. Indeed, my wife was rather disposed to find fault with what she called my want of faith in the unseen. Not that she had any vulgar belief in ghosts, but like most women she had a love of mystery, and her theories of spiritual existence. If what I am about to relate had happened to her, I might have made some allowance for preconceived opinions; but with me it was another matter. Although I am aware that this narrative will be read with derision on the part of some, and incredulity on the part of others, I can but tell the things I have seen and heard. My wife had a second cousin named Edgar Lampson, who had once been my unsuccessful rival for her hand. There is no doubt he was madly in love with her; but he was a dissipated, bad-tempered man, and his devotion to her brought no return. Soon after Mabel and I became engaged, I chanced to meet him at the gate of her father's house. With his white teeth gleaming savagely through his black mustache, he muttered: "You have crossed my path. Some day I shall cross yours." Mabel and I were married, and for nine years lived quietly and happily. Edward Lampson's parting words, which had been uttered with such vehemence and determination as at the time to produce an uncomfortable impression, had almost faded from my memory. He had started for California a few weeks after our marriage. and had never been heard from since. All attempts to find him having failed, it was generally supposed that he was no longer among the living. Meanwhile his father, my wife's uncle, died, bequeathing her a portion of his extensive property. Business relating to this legacy called me to the city where he had resided, and late one Saturday afternoon I ascended the marble steps of the spacious mansion which he had left to his widow. Mrs. Lampson was out, but I told the servant I would wait; and, being ushered into the drawingroom, ensconced myself in a luxurious arm-chair, to enjoy my surroundings. I could have easily entertained myself among the rare pictures and curiosities which adorned the apartment, but almost the first object that attracted my attention was one from which I found it difficult to withdraw it. Upon the wall opposite me was a life-like portrait of Edgar Lampson. There were the black, curling locks, heavy brows, and handsome features which I remembered so well. Whichever way I turned my eyes, those of the picture seemed to follow. At last I gave myself up to the spell. As I looked and pondered, the portrait seemed to move out from the wall. I thought it could not be, though the illusion, for such I called it, gave me a strange feeling, and caused me to gaze upon the picture even more fixedly than before. "It is a fine likeness. No wonder I imagined for a moment it was a living thing." As I said this to myself, again it came out from the wall, trembled slightly and drew back. The words, "You have crossed my path. Some day I shall cross yours," came to my mind. I felt almost as though the lips concealed by that heavy black mustache, might part at any moment and show the white, gleaming teeth. A third time it moved, advancing and retreating as before. There could be no doubt about it now. I rubbed my eyes, to make sure that I was awake. Then I looked about the room for some aperture from which a stream of air might issue, sufficient to cause this singular phenomenon. All the doors and windows were closed, and everything else in the room was motionless. As I said in the beginning, I never was considered superstitious; and I think I may honestly claim my share of manly courage; but that Edgar Lampson's portrait should actually start out from the wall before my very eyes, without any visible assistance, was appalling. The cold perspiration stood upon my forehead. After looking about the room in vain for any reasonable cause, I leaned back in my chair to wait for further developments. How long I sat there, motionless and silent, I know not. My mind was in such a state of bewilderment, agitation, and indefinable awe, it took no note of time. Still the portrait waved back and forth; and my staring eyes were fixed upon it. At length, determined to probe this mystery, with one mighty effort I broke the spell, and sprang to my feet. Stepping quickly forward, I stretched out my hand to grasp the picture. It dropped to my side again instantly; for I perceived a stream of hot air issuing from a register just under the portrait, and proceeding, doubtless, not from the spirit-world, but from some common-place furnace below. I HOLD that Christian grace abounds Where charity is seen; that when We climb to heaven 'tis on the rounds Of love to men. MY CREED. I hold all else named piety A selfish scheme, a vain pretence; Where centre is not can there be Circumference? NOTES AND QUERIES. Carlillane, Spanish gold coin, about $2.30. Coins of the World and their Value.-The following | Cash, a Chinese coin, about 1/8th cent. list of the coins of the world may prove interesting to some of the readers of the MONTHLY, and will be found convenient for reference. It is compiled from the excellent Lexicon of Jabez Jenkins: Christiana, a Swedish coin, about 14 cents, COINING AND FINISHING MONEY. Asper, a small Turkish money, 1-24th cent; Egypt, th cent. Bajocho, Roman money, about I cent. Bashereh, Egyptian gold coin, about 49 cents. Batzen, Swiss money, about 2 cents. Baubee, a half-penny. Bedidlik, Egyptian gold coin, about $4.97. Betro, a small Venetian coin, 1⁄2 cent. Bezant, an old Byzantine gold coin, worth about $2.25. Bisa, a gold coin worth about $1. Blanguille, a Barbary coin, about 3 cents. Blare, a Swiss coin, 2 cents. Bodle, small Scotch coin, cent. Boussobbattash, Tripoli money, about I cent. Broadpiece, an old gold coin, value about $6. Byzant, a gold coin, $75 or $2.25. Cabcer, a Mocha coin, about 60 cents. Cancareen, Chinese money, I and 4-10th cents. Denier, old French money, 1-5th cent. Didrachma, silver, about 30 cents. Doppia, Roman gold coin, about $3.28. Doubloon, Spanish gold coin, about $15.57. Drachme, Greek coin, 172 cents. Cobang, Japanese gold coin, about $3.57. Cowry, a shell used as money, 20 to a cent; in India, 60. Crown,silver coin, about $1.07; gold, $5.81. Cruzado, a Portu guese silver coin, about 48 cents. Daalder, a Dutch coin, about 60 cents. Dawm, an Indian copper coin, about 14 cents. Denari, Tuscan money, about I I-12th cents. Denarius, a Roman coin, silver, 151⁄2 cts.; gold, $3.87. Ducat, gold coin, $2.25; Russian, $2.75; silver, 83 cents. Ecu, a Swiss silver coin, 88 cents. Escudo, a Spanish gold coin, $1.90. Floren, Florence, an old gold coin, about $1.50. Florin, North German, 54 cents; Spanish, 42 cents; Austrian, 48 cents; gold, $1.66. Franc, French money, 191⁄2 cents. Frederick d'or, gold coin, $3.96. Carlino, Naples silver coin, about 8 cents; Sardinia gold Genovine, Sardinian gold coin, $15.17. coin, $9.47. Carolin, Bavarian gold coin, about $4.80. VOL. IX.-10 George, a gold coin, about $1.60. Gerah, Hebrew money, 3 cents. |