Panna in Bundelkhand. 161 



fix himself on the spot, and make his purchases gradually, by 

 so doing, he would at least save the profits which now go to 

 the merchants of Benares. 



Revenue of the Mines. — The revenue of the mines is divid- 

 ed among the Rajas of Panna, Banda, Chircari, and Jatipur, 

 but by far the largest share belongs to the former. Accord- 

 ing to my calculation the Panna division amounts to about 

 26,000 rupees per annum, but according to Raja Pertar Sinh, 

 who is the efficient manager of the Panna state, it is 30,000 

 rupees, and as his authority is likely to be nearer the truth 

 than mine, I do not hesitate to adopt it ; this revenue is deriv- 

 ed from a tax, originally fixed at one-fourth of the value of all 

 diamonds found in these mines below a certain weight, which, 

 I believe, was rated at eight rettis, but the tax now levied is 

 said to exceed this rate, and on diamonds above the eight retti 

 weight there is no stipulation ; taking therefore the aggregate 

 of the Banda, Chercari and Jaitpur shares, as equal to a fourth 

 of the revenue derived by the Raja of Panna, it will not be too 

 much to suppose that the produce of the mines amounts to 

 about 120,000 rupees per annum. 



I have now detailed with the utmost fidelity all the circum- 

 stances relating to these mines as they occurred to me at the 

 time I examined them, and have endeavoured to throw into my 

 narrative as much perspicuity as the subject is capable of; 

 still, however, the diamond is too important a mineral to be 

 passed over in a hasty manner, and I trust I shall be excused 

 if I here indulge in a few general observations. 



General Remarks. — 1st, It was formerly supposed that dia- 

 monds were always found at the same level above the sea, and 

 it still remains to be proved whether or not there is any truth 

 in the hypothesis, the following barometrical heights are de- 

 duced from actual observations made by myself. 



Kacha Matrix. 

 Source of the Ranj river near Udesna, - 1496 feet. 



Floor of the mines of Sakeriya and Udesna, 1470 „ 



Pukka Matrix. 

 Floor of the mines near Panna, - - 1300 feet. 



Bed of the Ranj river due east of the above, 1300 „ 



Top of its cascade near Ranipur, - - 1240 „ 



NEW SERIES, VOL. V. NO I. JULY 1831. I. 



