38 V. Ball— On the Diamond 31ines [No. 1, 



modern Rawduconda in Lat. 15° 41' and Long. 76° 50'. That Raolconda 

 was not on the Kistna or its tributary the Bhima as some writers have 

 supposed is evident from the fact that Tavernier states that on his return 

 journey from Raolconda the governor gave him an escort of six horsemen 

 in order that he might traverse in safety the tract under his government 

 up to the river separating the two kingdoms and which was, as shewn above, 

 at the 6th of 9 stages on his outward journey. 



Rawduconda, as the crow flies, is situated 165 miles south-west from 

 Golconda and by road it must be quite 1S9 miles. From Bijapour (or Visa- 

 pour) it is about 110 miles or some five days' journey to the south east. 

 The town is 6 miles distant from the western bank of the Toongabudra 

 river one of the principal feeders of the Kistna. From the station of 

 Raictmr on the Madras Railway Rawduconda is about 50 miles distant in 

 a south-westerly direction. 



I believe it will be admitted by all who care to investigate the question 

 that the above is a legitimate conclusion. Ta vernier's two statements as 

 they stand are clearly contradictory, but the first being amended as I have 

 suggested their united testimony seems to compel the conviction that we 

 have at length identified his Raolconda. 



Tavernier describes the neighbourhood of Raolconda as being sandy 

 and full of rocks and thickets somewhat similar to the environs of Fontaine- 

 bleau.* I have not seen any recent account of the locality and the geology 

 can only be guessed at. All round at no great distance crystalline rocks are 

 known to occur, but Tavernier's account of the matrix seems to indicate a 

 rock other than any belonging to the crystalline series. However, it is no 

 part of my present object to enter further into this question nor is it 

 necessary to reproduce Tavernier's account here. 



Captain Burtonf who appears to have located Raolconda on the Bhima 

 as he certainly did Gani (i. e., Coulour) relates that he heard of diamonds 

 in Raichur and that Sir Salar Jung offered to arrange for his going there, 

 but that he gave up the idea on hearing that there were only crystalline 

 rocks there. It is possible that a tradition of diamonds at Rawduconda 

 in the Mudgul Circar adjoining Raichiir may still linger at Haidrabad. 



I let the above stand without alteration though since it was written 

 I have had an opportunity of examining a number of old maps at the Sur- 

 veyor General's Office, for which my thanks are due to Mr. James. 



* This description is very similar to that given by Newbold of the opposite or 

 eastern hank of the river where granite rocks rise from a wide expanse of furrowed 

 sand. Vide Madras Journal of Literature and Science, Vol. XI, p. 126. Unfor- 

 tunately Newhold never mentions Rawduconda though he passed within a few miles 

 of it while on two of his traverses. 



t Vide Quarterly Journal of Science, Vol. VI, 1876. 



