The Occurrence and Distribution of Diamonds in India. 585 
of the predecessor of the present Maharaja of Panna knew no bounds. 
The mines being the chief source whence his revenues were obtained, the 
native tuadars were never spared when they found diamonds, but had 
the most unreasonable taxes imposed upon them. This mischievous 
system and the impolitic rule that all diamonds above six rattis became 
the bond fide property of the Maharaja, seem to have engendered in 
speculators a vindictive spirit, not only to evade the heavy duties, but to 
cheat the State of the produce of the mines altogether. Every poor 
tuadar has a petty banker, who supports his constituents and his family 
with the necessaries of life, on the understanding that every diamond 
found by them should be sold to him, out of the amount of which he is 
to pay himself. In fact, a tuadar of the lower order is but an instrument 
to the Mahajans to rob the Maharaja, and it is a well-known fact that 
though these harpies hoard up wealth through the medium of their 
artful constituents, they will, on all occasions, in order to evade suspicion, 
plead poverty and distress, whilst they carry on a clandestine trade of 
diamonds between Mirzapur, Banaras, Allahabad, and Jabalpur. Some 
years ago, one of these Mahajans was detected in defrauding the State 
of diamonds to the amount of Rs. 43,000 for a long series of years. He 
was imprisoned and threatened with punishment, and to avert this, he 
refunded Rs. 16,000, and acknowledged having embezzled to the extent 
mentioned. It is well known that the Maharaja is robbed of large and 
valuable diamonds yearly. I believe only one European has ever tried 
working at the Panna mines, and this was in 1833, when a licence was 
granted him, and the following were the termsin his licence :—On 
diamonds of 1 to 7 rattis, 15 per cent. on the value; from 7 to 10 
rattis, 33 per cent.; from 10 to 15 rattts, 50 per cent.; from 15 to 20 
rattis, 66 per cent. ; from 20 rattis and upwards, bona fide the property 
of the Maharaja, he having the option to reward the tuadars as he 
pleases. The expenses for working the mines at that time were as 
follow :— 
For one month with 20 sets of labourers— 
20 bildars at Rs. 2 per month, : ‘ ; § F : Rs. 40 
20 water women do., . : : . : : C : ROU 
4 sepoys at Rs. 3, : : : erie 12 
Implements for digging, &c., : : 4 5 : 3 40. 
Total Rs. 122 
It shows how cheap labour was in those days, whereas at this time 
bildars are getting Rs. 12 and 14a month. The European (his name 
is not given, and I copy from an old Government record) says :—“ In 
embarking in this enterprise, the chief evil to be guarded against is theft ; 
a strict eye should be kept over the labourers during the hours of their 
work, as they not only pilfer and conceal these stones in the very mines 
they are working, but will, in cases of emergency, swallow them! It is 
said that before the British supremacy became paramount in these parts, 
delinquents of this description have suffered death rather than confess 
their having stolen the gems, which have afterwards been discovered in 
the ashes of their remains.” 
Scren.,Proc. R.D.S. Vou, 11., Pr. vit, 
