Vol. VIII, No. 4.] The Pitt Diamond. 143 
[N.S.] 
remained uncut for nearly a century, and the generally accepted 
story of the Pitt Diamond is that it was obtained at the mine 
at Partial.’’ ! 
It by V. Ball, the strong objection against the identi- 
India without being heard of or finding a buyer, even in the 
Great Moghul. 
We do not know how the Pitt Diamond. was ever sip: 
posed to have come from Sumatra or Borneo he celebrat- 
ed Pitt, or Regent, diamond,’’ writes Lieutenant Newbold 
(Journ. Roy. As. Soc., VII, 1863, p. 238), ‘* has been erroneously 
stated to have been found at Malacca. During a residence 
of three years at that place, I made several enquiries on the 
subject from the Malay and Chinese miners, and also from the 
old Dutch and Portuguese inhabitants; but they all affirmed 
that the diamond in question, which is considered the most 
_ perfect of any that has hitherto been discovered, was sold to 
Mr. Pitt, of Bencoolen, in Sumatra,” by a merchant from 
Borneo. It was sold by him to the Duke of Orleans for 
£130,000, and placed among the crown jewels of France. Its 
value is said to be half a million sterling. cis statement of 
the Malays, of Malacca not producing diamonds, is borne out 
by the nature of the formation in its vicinity, sa is a stan- 
niferous granite overlaid by laterite 
t is easy to understand that, when the 
story of the J agannath robbery had got into — among 
Europeans either through Tavernier’s writings indepen- 
dently, malicious Sandcters or che a el story- taller should 
have linked it with the Pitt Dia 
It is more likely that the ackoun came from Golkonda. 
So says Mr. Salmon, the author of The Universal Traveller, 
London, 1752, Vol. I, p. 116. Why should we doubt his testi- 
mony? ‘* These Diamond Mines fof Golkonda] are walled round, 
and have a garrison for their Defence ; and these Stones may be 
purchased, either of the Merchants who reside near them, or a 
Man may hire a Piece of Ground and take his Chance. Some- 
times they have a good Bargain....and if they happen to meet 
with a Diamond of an extraordinary Size the Moguli’s agent will 
have the refusal of it; though if a large Diamond happens to 
be carried out of t the Mine without the officer’s lg te 
.-is in the Mogull 8 camp in the dry season. For all at that 
time: . ..all Tradesmen and Artificers forsake the Towns and 

1 Sic everywhere in Ball, instead of Parkal. 
2 I do not see how Pitt ever was at Bencoolen. 
