116 DIAMOND MINES OF PANNA 



and have endeavoured to throw into my narrative as much perspecuity as 

 the subject is capable of; still, however, the diamond is too important a 

 mineral to be passed over in a hasty manner, and I trust I shall be 

 excused if I here indulge in a few general observations. 



General Remarks. 

 1st. It was formerly supposed that diamonds were always found at 

 the *same level above the sea, and it still remains to be proved whether or 

 not there is any truth in the hypothesis, the following barometrical heights 

 are deduced from actual observations made by myself. 



Kacha 3Iatrix. 



r Source of the Ranj river near Udesna, . . j ;: ;; 1496 feet. 



Floor of the mines oi Sakertya and Udesna, 1470 ,, 



PakJca Matrix. 



Floor of the mines near Pawwcf, 1300 feet. 



Bed of the Ranj river due east of the above, ... . . . 1300 ,, 



Top of its cascade near Ranipur, 1240 



Source of the Bdgin river near Urki, 1420 „ 



Floor 



* This h5'pothesis can only apply to diamonds in their native or rocky beds, and does not of 

 course refer to transported diamonds which are found at various levels, but if the rocky matrix is uni- 

 versally confined to sandstone of the same era, it is not unlikely there may be some truth in it, at 

 least in India, for instance, the rock mines of Banganpilli appear to correspond pretty closely with 

 those of Panna, and Captain Cullen (Madras Lit. Trans.) says, that " the route across the plain be- 

 tween the nallamalla range and the table land at Banganpilli, is about 800 feet above the sea;" now 

 the town of Banganpilli, from its position with regard to two rivers, (the Kund and the Suru) which 

 unite in that plain, must be still higher, and Dr. Heyne says, it " is built at the foot of a low ridge of 

 hills— from 100 to 200 feet perpendicular height on which the diamond mines are situated." Dr. 

 Heynes estimate of the height of the diamond ridge is conjectural, and may, as is often the case, in 

 estimates of height made by the eye be rated too low — upon the whole, therefore, I think, there is 

 reason to conclude, that the diamond bed of the Banganpilli mines is at least 1 100 feet above the sea. 



