Travels in India. 



Part II 



ter, is to carry the Stone under a Tree thick of Boughs, for by the verdure 

 of that fhade you may eafily difcern whether the Water be blewifh or no. 



The firft time I was at the Mine, there were above fixty thoufand perfons 

 at work, men, women , and children ; the men being employ'd to dig , the 

 women, and children to carry the Earth. 



After the Miners have pitch'd upon the place where they intend to work, 

 they level another place clofe by, of the lame extent, or elfe a little bigger, 

 which they enclofe with a Wall about two foot high. In the bottom of that 

 little Wall, at the diftance of every two foot, they make fmall holes to let in the 

 water ; which they ftop up afterwards,till they come to drain out the water again. 

 The place being thus prepar'd, the people that are to work meet all together, 

 men, women, and children, with the Workmafter in the Company of his Friends 

 and Relations. Then he brings along with him fome little image of the, God 

 that they adore ; which being plac'd upright upon the ground, they all pro- 

 ftrate themfelves three times before it, while their Prieft fays a certain prayer. 

 The prayer being ended, he marks the forehead of every one with a kind of 

 Glue., made of Saffron and Gum, to fuch a compafs as will hold feven or eight 

 Grains of Rice, which he flicks upon it ; then having wafh'd their bodies with 

 water, which every one brings in his pot, they rank themfelves in order to eat 

 what the Workmafter prefents them, before they go to work, to encourage 

 them both to labour and be faithful. This Feaft confifts of nothing elfe but every 

 one his Plate of Rice, diftributed by the Bramin -, for an Idolater may eat any 

 thing from the hands of one of their Priefts. The Plates are made of the Leaves 

 of a certain Tree, not much unlike our Walnut-tree Leaves. Befides this, eve- 

 ry one has a quarter of a pound of Butter, melted in a fmall Copper pot with 

 fome Sugar. 



When their Feaft is over, the men fall to digging, the women and children 

 to carry Earth to the place prepar'd in that manner as I have already defcrib'd, 

 They dig ten, twelve, and fometimes fourteen foot deep ; but when they come 

 to any water they leave off. All the Earth being carry'd into the place before- 

 mention'd, the men, women, and children with Pitchers throw the water which 

 is in the drains upon the Earthjetting it foak for two or three days,according to the 

 hardnefs of it, till it come to be a kind of Batter ; then they open the holes in 

 the Wall to let out the water, and throw on more water frill, till all the mud 

 be wafh'd away, and nothing left but the Sand. After that they dry it in the 

 Sun ; and then tkey winnow the Sand in little Winnows, as we winnow our 

 Corn. The fmall duft flies away, the great remains, which they pour out a- 

 gain upon the ground. 



The Earth being thus winnow'd, they fpread it with a kind of Rake, as thin 

 as they poffibly can ; then with a wooden Inftrument, like a Paviers Rammer, 

 about half a foot wide at the bottom, they pound the Earth from one end to 

 the other, two or three times over. After that they winnow it again then j and 

 fpreadihg it at one end of the Van, for fear of lofing any of they Earth, the look 

 for the Diamond. 



j. Formerly they were wont to pound the Earth with great Flint-ftones, inftead 

 of wooden Rammers ; which made great flaws in the Diamonds, and is there- 

 fore now left off. 



Hheretofore they made no fcruple to buy thofe Diamonds that had a green 

 outfide } for being cut, they prov'd very white, and of an excellent water. 

 I Since they have been more nice ; for there was a Mine difcover'd between 

 ICottlbtir and Raolconda, which the King caus'd to be fhut up again,, by reafbn of 

 fome cheats that were us'd there j for they found therein that fort of Stones 

 , which had this green outfide, fair and tranfparent, and which appear'd more 

 Jfair than the others i but when they came to the Mill they crumbl'd to pieces, 



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CHAP. 



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