564 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 
RAOLKONDA IN THE KARNATIC. 
This was the first mine visited and described by Tavernier,* 
who stated that it was five days journey from Golconda, and 
eight or nine from Visapour. This place is perhaps identical 
with Volcondah, in Trichinipoli, lat. 12° 20” 
“The strata containing the diamonds ranged from half an inch to an 
inch in thickness, and the gangue was hooked out with iron rods. Some 
of the stones were valued at from two to sixteen thousand crowns. The 
steel wheel was used for cutting.’T 
Tavernier gives an account of the polishing of the gems as 
practised here. His account of the great security of property 
and system, with reference to the sale of diamonds, together with 
the courtesy with which he was treated, will be read generally 
with interest. 
Proceeding north-westwards from Karnul the next locality 
is Gani. 
Gantt on the Bhima influent of the Krishina, so called by 
Tavernier, known to the Persians as Coulour, and at present 
bearing the name Barkalun, according to Captain Burton. 
Tavernier’s account of the mine at this locality is, as fol- 
lows :—$ 
“‘Tt ig not above a hundred years since this mine was discovered by a 
countryman, who digging ina piece of ground to sow millet, found 
therein a pointed stone that weighed above twenty-five carats. He, not 
knowing what the stone was, but seeing it glisten, carried it to Golconda, 
where, as it happened well for him, he met with one that traded in 
diamonds. The merchant informing himself of the place where the 
stone was found, admired to see a jewel of that bigness, not having seen 
before one that weighed ten or twelve carats. However, his report 
made a great noise in the country. Inasmuch that the moneyed men in 
the town set themselves to work, and causing the ground to be searched 
they found and still do find bigger stones and in greater quantity than 
in any other mine, for they found a great nuinber of stones from ten to 
forty carats, and sometimes bigger, among the rest that large stone 
that weighed 900 carats, which Mirimgola presented to Aurengzeb. || 
* Travels. BookII. Pt. II., Chap. XI. ‘‘Of diamonds and the mines and rivers 
where they are found, and first of the author’s journey to the mine of Raolconda.” 
+ Quoted from Capt. Burton, Quarterly Journal of Science, N.S., Vol. vi., 1876. 
+ Written Garree by Dieulafait, ‘ Diamonds and Precious Stones.’ London, Blackie, 
1874. 
§ Travels, Chap. XII. 
|| This by some authorities is thought to have been the Koh-i-noor, which is said to 
have been found in the year 1550. 
