152 SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTION OF PRECIOUS STONES 



In the mines of Kamariga, north-east of Panna, the diamond-bearing stratum consists 

 of loose, ferruginous earth ; it is overlain by a bed 20 feet thick of the firm and coherent 

 Rewah sandstone interbedded with bands of shale. The solidity of the superimposed rock 

 allows the diamond-bearing stratum to be worked underground from the bottom of the pits 

 for some distance, so that the work is here much lighter than at Panna. There are also 

 several mines at Babalpur, all of which are now abandoned. 



At Birjpur, to the east of Kamariga and near to Babalpur, there are mines standing on 

 the right bank of the upper course of the river Baghin. The diamond-bearing stratum 

 differs from that at Kamariga, being a firm conglomeratic sandstone, which crops out at 

 the surface and overlies other sandstones ; the mining of diamonds is here, therefore, 

 comparatively easy. 



At all the mines mentioned above the diamond-bearing stratum itself is worked ; the 

 workings in the remaining mines of this group are, however, in the various sands and gravels 

 derived from this stratum. 



At Majgoha (Maigama), south-west of Panna and the most westerly point of the 

 district occupied by this group of mines, the mode of occurrence of the diamonds is peculiar. 

 They lie in a green mud, which is penetrated by veins of calcite and is covered by a thick 

 deposit of calcareous travertine or tufa. This mud is found in a conical depression in the 

 sandstone, about two-thirds of which it fills. This depression is 100 feet deep and 100 

 yards wide and being cone-shaped diminishes in diameter as its depth below the surface 

 increases ; it may possibly be an old diamond mine filled up by the green mud. The miners 

 work to a depth of 50 feet and assert that the mud increases in richness as greater depths 

 are reached. The mine is now apparently abandoned ; it is not, however, considered to be 

 exhausted but is reserved for future working. 



The mines at Udesna and Sakeriya are of some importance ; at the latter place, the 

 diamantiferous gravel is overlain by yellow clay and in part also by laterite. These mines 

 have been worked until recent times, and possibly may not be altogether abandoned even 

 now. At Saya Lachmanpur, fourteen miles from Panna, diamonds are found on the top of 

 Bindachul hill. 



Finally, we must notice the long stretch of sands in the valley of the Baghin river below 

 Birjpur. The principal mines are at the lower end of the upper part of the valley, where 

 the pebbly diamantiferous stratum is overlain by about 12 feet of dark brown clayey sand. 

 At the upper end of the valley are two waterfalls, each with a fall of 100 feet, and at the 

 foot of each diamonds are collected at levels which are respectively 700 and 900 feet below 

 that at which the diamond-bearing stratum occurs in situ. 



The Panna mines are at present the most productive diamond mines in India. The 

 profits of the workers are, however, greatly diminished by the heavy tribute exacted by the 

 native princes, to whom the land on which the mines are situated (with the exception of 

 Saya Lachmanpur) belongs. All stones exceeding 6 ratis in weight are appropriated, 

 together with one-fourth of the value of all other stones found. In spite of this exaction, 

 more than three-fourths of the inhabitants of Panna and the surrounding villages obtain 

 their livelihood by searching for diamonds. Owing to the oppressive taxation, dishonesty 

 IS rife among the workers, stones being concealed whenever opportunity occurs. 



Another place at which diamonds are said to have been found is Simla, on the lower 

 ranges of the Himalayas and to the north of Delhi, this locality being thus quite removed 

 from the districts described above. Here, about 1870, a few diamonds are reported to 

 have been found after a great storm ; this occurrence is by no means an established 



