1 



138 Mr Breton on the Diamond Workings 



to' 



Now, although the Sumbhulpore diamond is more frequent- 

 ly found in the red earth above described, yet it is now and 

 then met with in other kinds of compositions. The proof of this 

 red conglomerate being its matrix is by no means established. 

 In the late Dr Voysey's Description of the Diamond Mines in 

 Southern India, it is stated that the only rock in which the 

 diamond is found is the sandstone breccia. * 



In the reign of the former rajahs and ranees in Sumbhul- 

 pore, the right to all diamonds found in the bed of the Maha- 

 nuddee was established, and on a diamond of magnitude being 

 found by the Iharas, the finder was rewarded by a grant of a 

 small village in Jageer, and by presents in money and clothes. 

 When detected in secreting a diamond, they were punished 

 with death, or by being severely beaten and deprived of their 

 Jageers, and of the privilege of again searching for diamonds. 



The facility with which a diamond, when found by the Iha- 

 ras, can be secreted, (for, instead of vigilance being exercised 

 over them, they are left to use their own discretion in search- 

 ing for this gem,) and the extreme difficulty in detecting the 

 fraud, render it more than probable that many very valuable 

 diamonds are at this moment in the possession of the finders, 

 which they are afraid to disclose. For in 1818, on the power 

 of the British government being established in Sumbhulpore, 

 a diamond, which had been secreted by the searchers from the 

 former rulers of Sumbhulpore, was actually brought and de- 

 livered to the late political agent, and by him sent to govern- 

 ment as a part of the property of Sumbhulpore, which, by 

 right of conquest, became the property of the state. It weigh- 

 ed eighty-four grains, and was valued at 5000 rupees. 



At Sumbhulpore the quality of the diamond is named after 

 the four tribes of the Hindoos. A diamond of the first qua- 

 lity is called Brahmin ; the second is named Chetree ; the third 

 Bysh ; and the fourth Soudra ; and, from experience, the na- 

 tive jewellers judge pretty accurately of their respective quali- 

 ties. The weights they employ for weighing the diamond are 

 the ruttee and masha, the former is a fraction less than two 

 grains troy weight, and seven ruttees make a masha. Rough 

 diamonds are estimated according to their quality. The first 



• See this Journal, No. xi. p. 97. 



