Ball — A Geologisfs Contribution to the Sidory of India. 101 



a-half tissu of laal (spinel), and that four dank, minus a tissu of 

 coral, are equal in size to four dank, minus two tissu of onyx and 

 crystal. The mode of discovering the size and weight is the 

 following : — A vessel is filled with water, and the stones thrown 

 singly into the water; the quantity of water which is expelled 

 from the vessel by means of each stone is equal to the room it 

 occupies." 



Marco Polo. — A notable authority on the mineral production 

 of India during this same thirteenth century is the famous Venetian 

 traveller, Marco Polo. In reference to the diamond, he states that it 

 was only obtained in what he designates as the kingdom of Mutfili — 

 a name which has been identified by Colonel Yule with Motupalle, 

 a still existing port in the Gruntur District of Madras. The proper 

 name of the kingdom was Telingana, which therefore included the 

 so-called Grolconda mines of the Kistna Yalley ; but Marco Polo ex- 

 tended to it that of the town or post which he visited. It is note- 

 worthy, as testimony of an early trade, that Marco Polo states 

 that " those diamonds brought to Europe are, as it were, the re- 

 fuse of the finer stones, which go to the Grreat Kaan and the other 

 kings and princes of India." He describes three methods as being 

 followed in the search for diamonds :— 



First : After the rains the beds of torrents from the moun- 

 tains were searched ; these localities were infested with venomous 

 snakes. 



Second : Pieces of meat were thrown down from the tops of 

 mountains into inaccessible valleys ; these pieces of meat were 

 pounced upon and carried up to the tops of mountains by white 

 eagles, and, when recovered, diamonds were found sticking to 

 them. This story, made familiar to all by the travels of Sindbad 

 the Sailor, is one of great antiquity. The earliest mention of it, 

 according to Colonel Yule, is by St. Epiphanius, Bishop of 

 Salamis, in Cyprus, who, in the fourth century, wrote a treatise 

 on the twelve jewels in the breastplate of the High Priest. The 

 tale, as told by him, however, refers to the jacinth, not to the 

 diamond. 



A list of the authors who have alluded to this tradition will be 

 found in Colonel Yule's edition of Marco Polo.^ Its origin, as 



1 Vol. ii. p. 298. 



