Book II Travels in India. ~~ jqj 



Officer hearing of my arrival, went and gave notice to the Cadi and Sba-Bander 

 who lent for me. The Cadi prefently ask'd me, if the Money I had left in the 

 Chamber where the perfon dy'd were mine, and how I could prove it. I told 

 him I had no better proofs than the Letters of Exchange which I had brought 

 to the Banker that paid it by my order to the perfon deceas'd j to whom I 

 had alfo giv'n farther order, that if the Banker paid me in Silver,* he mould 

 change the fiim into Gold. Thereupon the Bankers were tent for, who affirm- 

 ing the payments accordingly, the Cadi fent his Deputy to op'n the Chamber 

 door -, nor would he leave me, till I had counted over my Money, and had 

 afTnr'd him it was right. After that I return'd to the Cadi and the Sha-Bander, 

 and fignifi'd as much to them j and having paid them fome Fees which they 

 demanded, to the value of four Crowns and a half of our Money, I return'd 

 them my thanks for their care. This I relate to mew the juftice of the Country. 



CHAP. XII. * 



The Authors Journey to the other Mines ; and how they find the 



diamonds there. 



S Even days journey from Golconda Eaftward there is another Diamond Mine; 

 call'd in the language of the Country Gam, in the Perfian tongue Contour. 

 It is near a great Town, by which the lame River runs, which I crofs'd coming 

 from the other Mine ; and a League and a half from the Town is a high Moun- 

 tain in the form of a Half-Moon j the Ipace between the Town and the Moun- 

 tain is a Plain where they dig and find Diamonds. The nearer they dig to the 

 Mountain^ the larger Stones they find 5 but at the top they find nothing at 

 all. 



It is not above a hundred years fince this Mine was found out by a Country- 

 man, who digging in a piece of ground to Cow Millet, found therein a 

 pointed Stone that weigh'd above twenty-five Carats ; he not knowing what 

 the Stone was, but feeing it glifter, carry'd it to Golconda, where as it happen'd 

 well for him, he met with one that traded in Diamonds. The Merchant in- 

 forming himlelf of the place where the Stone was found, admir'd to lee a jewel 

 of that bignefs, not having feen any one before that weigh'd above ten or twelve 

 Carats. However his report made a great noile in the Country j infbmuch that 

 the Mony'd men in the Town fet themfelves to work, and caufing the ground 

 to be fenrch'd, they found, and (till do find bigger Stones, and in greater quan- 

 tity than in any other Mine. For they found a great number of Stones from 

 ten to forty Carats, and fometimes bigger j among the reft that large Stone 

 that weigh'd nine hundred Carats, which Mirnmola prefented to Aureng-z.eb. 



But though this Mine of Coulour be fo confiderable for the quantity of great 

 Stones which are there found, yet the mifchief is, the Stones are not clean s 

 the Waters having lomething of the quality of the Earth where they are found. 

 If the Ground be merlhy, the Water enclines to black 5 if it be red, there is a 

 rednefs in the Water } in other places the Stones appear fomewhat greenifh, in 

 others yellowilh $ fuch a diverfity of Soils there is between the Town and the 

 Mountain. Upon the moft part of thefe Stones after they are cut, there appearf 

 a kind of greafie moifture, which muft be as often wip'd off. 



As for the Water of the Stones, it is remarkable, that whereas iff Europe 

 we make ufe of day-light to examine the rough Stones, and to judg of their 

 Water, and the fpecks that are found therein, the Indians do all that in the 

 night-time, fetting up a Lamp with a large Wiek, in a hole which they make 

 in the Wall, about a foot fquarej by the light whereof they judg of the Wa- 

 ter and clearnels of the Stone, which they hold between their Fingers. The 

 Water which they call celeftial is the worft of afl, and it is impofTible to difcern 

 it fo lone as the Stone is rough. The moft infallible way to find out that Wa- 



* T tery 



