Ball — On the Colloquies of Garcia De Orta — II. 659 
Garcia says crystal (i.e. quartz) is not found in India, because 
it needs a much, colder climate, such as Germany, for its formation : 
this is, however, a fable. Eock crystals of great size are well known 
from certain localities in India, and indeed, as might be supposed, the 
mineral is very widely distributed. 
Beryl is, however, he says, found in India, and in such large 
pieces that pitchers and vases are made from it, and for one of the 
former he gave 200 cruzados, or about £28 6s. ^d. Large beryls do 
occur in India, but it may be that here he was referring to vessels 
made of Jade (see next Colloquy). He says that beryl occurred in 
Bisnager, Cambay, Martaban, Pegu, and Ceylon, but that in the three 
last diamonds do not occur, which is quite true. 
He contradicts the story mentioned by Huano that the diamond 
cannot be broken by a hammer, and recommends him not to try the 
experiment with valuable stones. He says that diamonds cannot be 
pierced, though some are so hard that they will scratch others, and the 
diamond point may be used to test whether a stone is a genuine 
diamond or not. There are numerous instances of diamonds being 
engraved, and I think diamonds have been occasionally bored too. He 
adds : — The story of it being softened by the blood of the goat is a 
fable taken from seeing it break the stone in the bladder and kidneys. 
I have tried the experiment with diamonds and found that they 
remained just as if nothing had been done to them." 
Elsewhere^ I have shown that this fable, which was known to 
Pliny, probably originated in the bloody sacrifices connected with 
diamond mining, which sacrifices, moreover, have furnished the expla- 
nation of the meat thrown into the diamond valley, which is the 
leading idea in the stories of Marco Polo, Sindbad, and others. 
As to the size which diamonds attain he says there are some in 
India larger than four hazel-nuts. The two largest he saw weighed 1 40 
mangelis (i.e. 175 carats), and 120 mangelis (i.e. 150 carats). He 
had heard of one being in the possession of a man who, however, denied 
it, weighing 250 mangelis (i.e. 312^ carats). Purther, he had been 
told by a man worthy of credit that he had seen one at Bisnager which 
was as large as a small hen's egg. He relates as strange that diamonds 
should appear to grow rapidly in amine if searched for after two years' 
rest. The true explanation of this is that weathering by breaking up 
the hard crusts which envelop the diamonds brings them to light. 
1 "Diamonds, Coal, and Gold of India," Triibner, 1881, p. 134. 
