DIAMOND DIAMOND DISTRICT. 



665 



Pale blue diamonds are also very fine' and rare, but 

 deep blue still more rare. The largest diamond hi- 

 therto found is in the possession of the rajah of Mat- 

 tan, in the island of Borneo, where it was found about 

 eighty years since. It weighs 367 carats. It is de- 

 scribed as having the shape of an egg, with an inden- 

 tation near the smaller end. Many years ago, the 

 governor of Batavia tried to purchase it, and offered 

 in exchange 150,000 dollars, two large brigs of war, 

 with their guns and ammunition, and other cannon, 

 with powder and shot. But the rajah refused to 

 part with a jewel, to which the Malays attach mira- 

 culous powers, and which they imagine to be con- 

 nected with the fate of his family. This diamond is 

 mentioned in the memoirs of the Batavian society. 



The diamond is the hardest of all known substances. 

 Nothing will scratch it, nor can it be cut but by it- 

 self. By cutting, it acquires a brilliancy and play of 

 lustre that much augment its price. The hardness 

 of the diamond was well known to the ancients ; its 

 name, both in Greek and Latin (alapas, adamas), 

 implying invincible hardness. The ancients did not 

 confine the word adamas to indicate the diamond 

 alone, but applied it to other hard and adamantine 

 substances. They were unacquainted with the art 

 of cutting the diamond, satisfying themselves with 

 those which were polished naturally ; but knew of 

 the property of its powder or dust for cutting, en- 

 graving, and polishing other stones. 



The art of cutting and polishing the diamond was 

 unknown in Europe till the fifteenth century. Before 

 that period, rough and unpolished ones were set as 

 ornaments, and valued according to the beauty and 

 perfection of their crystallization and transparency. 

 This art is said to have been invented and first prac- 

 tised in 1456, by Louis de Berquen, a native of 

 Bruges. Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, was 

 one of the first princes of modern times who affected 

 a great splendour in diamonds. Among engraved or 

 sculptured diamonds is one with a head, which Gori 

 falsely imagined to be antique, and called it a por- 

 trait of Posidonius. It belonged to the duke of Bed- 

 ford. Lessing thinks that many of the engraved 

 antique gems, which are called diamonds, are nothing 

 but amethysts, sapphires, and emeralds, deprived of 

 their colour by the operation of fire. 



Diamonds are valuable for many purposes. Their 

 powder is the best for the lapidary and gem engraver, 

 and more economical than any other material for 

 cutting, engraving, and polishing hard stones. Gla- 

 ziers cut glass with them ; glass-cutters' looking- 

 glasses, and other articles of window and plate glass. 

 The glazier's diamond is set in a steel socket, and 

 attached to a wooden handle about the size of a thick 

 pencil. It is very remarkable, that only the point of 

 a natural crystal can be used ; cut or split diamonds 

 scratch, but the glass will not break along the scratch, 

 as it does when a natural crystal is used. An appli- 

 cation of the diamond, of great importance in the art 

 of engraving, has been also made within a few years 

 by the late VVilson Lowry, to the purpose of drawing 

 or ruling lines, which are afterwards to be deepened 

 by aqua fortis. Formerly steel points, called etching 

 needles, were used for that purpose ; but they soon 

 became blunt by the friction against the copper, so 

 that it has always been impracticable to make what 

 are called flat or even tints with them ; such as the 

 azure parts of skies, large architectural subjects, and 

 the sea in maps ; but the diamond, being turned to 

 a conical point, or otherwise cut to a proper form, 

 is not worn away by the friction of the copper, and 

 consequently, the lines drawn by it are all of equa 

 thickness. The diamond etching points of Mr Lowry 

 are turned in a lathe, by holding a thin splinter o 

 diamond against them, as a chisel. 



DIAMOND DISTRICT, in Brazil. That part of 

 frazil where the government collects diamonds is not 

 ar from Villa di Principe, and extends about sixteen 

 eagues from north to south, and about eight from 

 sast to west, in the district of Cerro do Frio, which 

 consists of rugged mountains, generally considered 

 he highest in Brazil. The first diamonds found here 

 were used by the governor of Villa di Principe as 

 card counters, and considered by him as curious bright 

 crystals. They were sent to Lisbon, where the Dutch 

 consul recognised their value, and sent them to Hol- 

 and, then the market of precious stones. Holland 

 mmediately concluded a commercial treaty with Por- 

 ugal, and it is said that the weight of the diamonds 

 ntroduced during the next twenty years into Europe 

 exceeded a thousand ounces. This diminished their 

 value, and diamonds were exported profitably even 

 o India, the only country whence, till then, these 

 stones had come. 



An interesting account of the proceedings in the 

 Diamond district, into which few visitors are ever 

 admitted, is contained in the excellent work called 

 Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817 1820, under- 

 aken by Command of H. M., the King of Bavaria, 

 )y the late Dr John Bapt. von Spix, and Dr C. F. 

 Phil, von Martius, two vols., written and edited by the 

 survivor, Dr Martius, Munich, 1828, 4to, translated 

 nto English 1829. From this work the following 

 account is extracted : The travellers reached Villa 

 di Principe, a town of some size, lying near the edge 

 of the diamond district, into which they were admit- 

 ted by virtue of an order from the king. This tract 

 of country is entirely occupied by the government, 

 'or the sake of its mineral treasures. In 1730, dia- 

 monds were declared the property of the crown ; 

 and this district, abounding particularly in them, has 

 seen subjected to a most curious system of exclusion. 

 Lines of demarcation are drawn around it, guarded 

 as strictly as those of an infected city. No person is 

 permitted to pass these, in either direction, without 

 in order from the intendant of the mines. Every 

 one, on going out, is subjected, with his horses and 

 baggage, to a most minute examination, and, in case 

 of suspicion that a diamond has been swallowed, may 

 be detained for twenty-four hours. The intendant is 

 head judge in all cases, and chief of the police ; he 

 may send any inhabitant out of the district on bare 

 suspicion ; nor is there any appeal from him and his 

 council, the junta diamantina, except to the mercy of 

 the king. Every member of this board, if he knows 

 of any person having diamonds in his possession, is 

 bound to give notice to the intendant, who imme- 

 diately issues his search-warrant, though, in cases of 

 emergency, the soldiers are permitted to search with- 

 out such authority. There are also strict rules with 

 regard to the registering of the inhabitants, the ad- 

 mission of settlers, the erection of new inns or shops, 

 and the hiring of slaves. The members of the expe- 

 dition being acquainted with the intendant, who, 

 though a native Brazilian, had studied mineralogy 

 under Werner, in Germany, were invited to a sitting 

 of the junta. The order of proceedings was as fol- 

 lows. First, the whole stock of diamonds was laid be- 

 fore the meeting. It amounted to 9396 carats 2 

 grains, and was divided into twelve classes (lotes), 

 enclosed in bags of red silk. 



The division was made by means of a brass box, 

 in which there were eleven sieves of different sizes, 

 so arranged that the smallest diamonds were collect- 

 ed in the lowest, the largest in the upper sieve. 

 There were eleven stones of more than eight carats 

 in weight. Some spurious diamonds were rejected 

 by the junta, and given, for the sake of accurate ex- 

 amination, to the travellers. These are now pre- 

 served at Munich, and were found to be several 



