9^ 
Travels into the IN DIE S. Part IIL 
Hand in need of them : And the Reftpies which in Mogulifian are worth but 
about half a Crown, ^2.^ m Gelconda for five and fifty Fechas, which are 
worth fix and forty or feven and'forty Sols. This Money of Vechas is Coyn- 
ed at Bagnagar ; but the Dutch at prefent furniihing the Copper, thefe Pechas' 
are for them, which afterward by the way of Trade they change into Pa- 
gods and Reupes. " • 
Seeing the Kingdom of Golconda may be faid to be the Countrey of Dia- 
monds, it will not be amifs to know the Price that is commonly given for 
them proportionably to their weight. The chief weight of Diamonds, is the 
Mattgelin-^ it weighs five Grains and three fifths, and the Carat weighs only 
four Grains, and five Mangelins make feven Carats. Diamonds that weigh 
but one or two Mangeim^ are commonly fold for fifteen or fixtcen Crowns 
the Mangelin -, fuch as weigh three Mangelins^ are fold for thirty Crowns the 
Pechas, 
The Price and 
Weight of Di- 
amonds, 
Mangelin a 
weight. 
Carat. 
■Mangdtn -, and for five Crowns one may have three Diamonds, if all the 
three weigh but a Mangelin : However the price is not fixt, for one day I 
faw fifty Crowns a Mtmgelin payed for a Diamond of ten Mangelins^ and 
next day there was but four and forty a Mangelin^ payed for another Dia- 
mond that weighed fifteen Mangelins : Not longafter,! was at the Caftle with 
a Hollander who bought a large Diamond weighing fifty MafigelinSjOr three- 
fcore and ten Carats^ he was asked feventeen thoufand Crowns for it ^ he 
bargained for it a long while,but at length drew the Merchant afide to ftrike 
up a bargain,and I could not prevail with him to tell me what he payed for 
it. That Stone has a grain in the middle, and muft be cut in two. He 
bought another at Bagnagar^ which weighed thirty five Mangelins or eisht 
and forty Carats^ ancf he had the 'Carat for five hundred and fifty fivi^ 
Guild&rs. 
C H A P. VI. 
Of the Caflle of Golconàa.. 
Golconda a 
T He Caftle where the King commonly kfceps his Court, is two Leagues 
from Bagnagar -, it is called Golconda^ and the Kingdom bears the fame 
nartie. Cotup-Cha the firft, gave it that name, becauib after his Ufurpa- 
tion feeking out for a place where he might build a ftrong Cailrle, the place 
where the Caftle ftands was named to him by a Shepheard, who guided 
him through a Wood to the Hill where the Palace is at çrefent -, and the 
place appearing very proper for his defigne, he built the Caftle there, and 
called it Golconda, from the word Golcar, which in the Telenghi Language 
fignifies a Shepheard : all the Fields about Golconda weref then but a Foreft, 
which were cleared by little and little, and the Wood burnt. This place 
is to the W eft of Bagnagar ; the plain that leads to it, as one goes out of the 
Suburbs, affords a moft lovely fight, to which the profped of the Hill that 
rifes like a Sugar-loaf in the middle of the Caftle, which has the Kings 
Palace all round upon the fides of it, contributes much by its natural fitu- 
ation. This Fort is of a large compafs, and may be called a Town j 
the Walls of it are built of Stones three Foot in length, and as much 
in breadth, and arc furrounded with deep Ditches, divided into Tanquiesy 
which are full of fair and good Water. 
But after all, it hàth no works of Fortification but five round Towers, 
which (as well as the Walls of the place) have a great many Canaon mount- 
ed upon them, for their defence. Though there be lèverai Gates into this 
Caftle, yet two ônly are kept open, and as we entered, we croffed over 
a Bridge built over a large Tancjuie, and then went through a very narrow 
place betwixt two ToweK, which turning and winding, leads to agréât 
Gate 
