VOL. XII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 407 



earth, like Colure ; their stones like those of the two former mines, but mixed 

 with many of a blue water. 



The next mine is Currure, the most famous of them all, and most ancient. In 

 it have been found diamonds of a seize weight, which is about Q ounces troy, or 

 81-L pagos weight. It is only employed by the king for his own private use: the 

 diamonds that are found in it are very well spread, and large stones, it yields few or 

 none small. They have generally a bright skin, which inclines to a pale greenish 

 colour, but within are purely white. The soil is reddish as many of the others. 

 About 60 or 70 years ago, when it was under the government of the 

 Hindoo, and several persons permitted to adventure in digging, a Portuguese 

 gentleman went thither from Goa, and having spent in mining a great sum of 

 money to the amount of 100,000 pagos, and converted every thing he brought 

 with him, even to his clothes into money, while the miners were at work for 

 the last day's expence, he had prepared a cup of poison, resolving, if that 

 night he found nothing, to drink his last with the conclusion of his money ; 

 but in the evening the workmen brought him a very fair spread stone of 20 

 pagos weight. 



Not far from Currure are the mines of Lattawaar and Ganjeeconta, which 

 are in the same soil as Currure, and afford stones not unlike: but Lattawaar 

 yields many representing the great end of a razor-blade, thin on one side and 

 thick on the other, very white and of an excellent water ; but the best of the 

 mine is worn out, and Ganjeeconta employed only for the king's private use. 



Jonagerre, Pirai, Dugulle, Pui-willee and Anuntapellee, consist also of red 

 earth, and afford many large stones ; part of them of a greenish water ; but 

 the most absolute mines are of Wazzergerre and Munnemurg, the others rather 

 representing pits than mines ; for there they sink through high rocks till they 

 go so far below their basis, that they can go no further for water, in some 

 places 40 or 50 fathoms deep. The surface of the rocks consist of hard, firm, 

 white stone, into which they cut a pit like a well, of about 4 or 5, in some 

 places 6 feet deep, before they come to a crust of a mineral stone, like the 

 mineral of iron ; when they fill the hole with wood, and keep there as hot a 

 fire as they can for 2 or 3 days, till they think it sufficiently heated ; then they 

 pour in water till they have quenched it, which also slakes and mollifies both 

 stone and mineral ; both being cold, they dig again, take out all the crumbled 

 stuff, and dig up what they can besides, before they heat it anew ; the crust 

 seldom is thicker than 3 or 4 feet, after which they come to a vein of earth, 

 that usually runs under the rock 2 or 3 furlongs ; sometimes much further : 

 this they dig all out and search, and if their first attempt prove successful, they 

 go to work again, digging as deep as they can, till they come to water ; for 

 the drawing whereof, wanting the help of engines known in Europe, they can 



