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diamonds for sale and of whose abilities he speaks highly. 

 While he was with the Nabob, it was announced that 4 prisoners 

 had arrived. " The Nabob remained silent for half an hour 

 without replying, writing continually and making his secretaries 

 wi-ite, but at length he suddenly ordered the criminals to be 

 brought in, and after having questioned them and made them 

 confess with their mouths the crimes of which they were accused, 

 he remained nearly an hour without saying anything and continu- 

 ing to .write and making his secretaries write." Among these 

 4 prisoners was one who had entered a house and slain a 

 mother and her three infants. He was condemned forthwith 

 to have his hands and feet cut off and to be thrown into a field 

 near the high road to end his days. Another had stolen on the 

 high road, and the Nabob ordered him to have his stomach 

 slit open and flung in a drain. Tavernier says that he could 

 not ascertain what the others had done, but the heads vi both 

 of them were cut off. The men who worked at the diamond 

 mines at Golgonda earned only 2s. od. per mensem, though, 

 says Tavernier, they were men who thoroughly understood 

 their work. The wages being so small the men did not mani- 

 fest any scruple about concealing a stone found when they 

 could, which they did by putting it in their mouths, as they 

 had little or no clothing on their bodies. Tavernier gives the 

 following account of the peasantry and of the common soldiers : 

 *' One hundred of our European soldiers would scarcely have 

 any difficulty in vanquishing 1,000 of these Indian soldiers ; 

 but it is true, on the other hand, that they would have much 

 difficulty in accustoming themselves to so abstemious a life as 

 theirs. For the horseman, as well as the infantry, supports 

 himself with a little flour kneaded with a little water and 

 black sugar, of which he makes balls, and in the evening they 

 make kichri, which consists of rice cooked with dholl in water 

 with a little salt. When eating it, they dip their fingers in 

 melted butter. Such is the ordinary food of both soldiers and 

 the poor people. To which it should be added that the heat 

 would kill our soldiers, who would be unable to remain in the 

 heat of the sun as these Indians do. I should say, en passant, 

 that the peasants have for their sole garment a scrap of cloth 

 tied round their loins, and that they are reduced to great 

 poverty because, if the Governors become aware that they 

 possess any property, they seize it straightway by right or by 

 force. You may see in India whole provinces like deserts, 

 from whence the peasants have fled on account of the oppres- 

 sions of the Governors. Under cover of the fact that they are 

 themselves Muhammadans, they persecute the poor id\)lators 

 to the utmost, and if any of the latter become Muhammadans, 



