DIAMOND: OCCURRENCE IN BRAZIL 155 



octahedra, while octahedral faces are present on only two or three more ; the majority show 

 the form of a hexakis-octahedron, and a few also that of the rhombic dodecahedron. 

 The crystalline form of the stones found in different districts, when known, has been 

 mentioned above under the special description of each district. 



That large diamonds in considerable numbers were formerly found in India has already 

 been stated ; a detailed description of the largest and most beautiful will be given in a 

 separate section devoted to the consideration of famous diamonds. The stones found at 

 the present day are usually of small size, so that in this respect also the finds of the present 

 •day do not compare favourably with those of earlier times ; large stones are, however, 

 occasionally met with even now, as is shown, for example, by the discovery of a stone 

 weighing 67| carats at Wajra Karnr in 1881. 



With respect to the quality of Indian diamonds not many detailed accounts are 

 available. Though reports dealing with single mines may mention the existence of stones 

 of poor quality, yet, as a general rule, Indian stones rank high in the possession of the most 

 desirable (jualities. An Indian stone often shows a combination of lustre, purity of water, 

 strength of fire, and perfect " blue-whiteness " of colour, such as is absent from Brazilian and 

 South African stones. Moreover, India can claim for its own all the finely-coloured stones 

 of blue, green, and red, not however yellow diamonds, which come mainly from South 

 Africa. 



2. BRAZIL. 



Diamonds were first discovered in Brazil about the year 1725, in the neighbourhood ol 

 Tejuco, which is situated in the State of Minas Geraes. According to the usual accounts 

 they were first found during the gold-washing of the auriferous sands of the Rio dos 

 Marinhos, a tributary on the right bank of the Rio Pinheiro. The glittering of the stones 

 attracted the attention of the gold-washers, although they were ignorant of their real nature. 

 The stones were collected and taken occasionally (1728) to Lisbon, where they came undei' 

 the notice of the Dutch consul, who recognised them to be diamonds of the best quality. 



Then began an eager search all over the district, but specially in the water-courses, and 

 it was found that all the streams and rivers there were more or less rich in diamonds. The 

 Portuguese government claimed the stones as crown property, and marked out a definitely 

 bounded diamantiferous district, called the Serro do Frio district, which was to be under its 

 own control, and subject to special laws and regulations preventing the ingress of unlicensed 

 diamond- seekers, while a strict military supervision forbad any dishonesty among the 

 workers. 



More extended search showed that diamonds were not confined to the district of Serro 

 do Frio ; numerous important discoveries were made in various parts of Minas Geraes and 

 in other States, namely, in Sao Paulo and Parana towards the south, in Goyaz and Matto 

 Grosso in the west, and towards the north in Bahia and perhaps also Pernambuco. Dis- 

 coveries of new and rich deposits have from time to time been made up to a quite recent 

 date, so that it may be safely assumed that further discoveries are in store in the future, 

 such discoveries being the more probable on account of the fact that many of the diamond- 

 fields hitherto worked are situated in districts almost wholly unexplored. 



Up to the present time the State of Minas Geraes has maintained its reputation as an 

 important diamond -yielding region in sj)ite of the fact that, owing to long years of mining 

 operations, its present yield is now much reduced, especially when compared with the yield 

 of the years immediately following the first discovery of diamonds. The place of Minas 

 Geraes, as the State from which the richest yields are derived, is now taken by the State of 



