Vol. III. MifcetUnea Curio pt. 251 



it with clean , till all the Earthly Sub- 

 ftance be wafted away , and none but a 

 gravelly remains at the bottom. Thus 

 they continue Wafhing till about Ten of 

 the Clock before Noon ^ when they take * 

 the gravelly Stuff they have waflied , and 

 fprcad it on a Plaice made plain and fmooth 

 (like a Bowling- Alley ) for the purpofe^ 

 near the Giftern , which being foon dried 

 by the heat of the Sun at that time of 

 the Day, they very curioufly look it over^ 

 that the fmalleft bit of a Stone can hard* 

 ly efcape them. They never examin the 

 Stuff they have wafli'd but between the 

 Hours of Ten and Three, leaft any 

 Cloud by interpofing , intercept the brisk 

 Beams of the Sun, which they hold very 

 neceflary to aflift them in their fearch \ 

 the Diamonds , not forbearing to refle£k 

 them when they touch therein , rendring 

 themfelves thereby the more confpicu- 

 ous. 



Some of the experteft Labourers are em- 

 ployed in fearching ; he that fets them at 

 Work ufually fitting by, and overlooking ; 

 but it's hardly pofTible , efpecially where 

 many are employed, to watch them fo nar- 

 rowly, but that they may fteal part of what 

 they find , as many times fome of them do^ 

 and, felling it privately, convert to their own 

 ufe. If they find a large Stone, they carry 

 it not prefently to their Employer, but keep 

 on looking , having an Eye on him till 

 they obferve he takes notice of it, when 

 with a turn of their Hand they give him 

 a glimpfeof it , but deliver it not till 



