C 915 ) 
heat of the Sun at that time of the day, they very curioufly Jook 
ic over, that the fiiialleft bit of a Hone can hardly efcapc them. 
They never examine the fluff they have wafht boc between the 
hours of ten and three, leaft any cloud by incerpofing intercept 
the brisk beams of the Sun, which they hold very necefTary to 
afllftthem in their fearch ^ the Diamonds, not forbearing tore* 
flefl them when they touch therein, rendring themfelves thereby 
the more conrpicuous. 
Some of the experteft Labourers are employed in fearchingi 
he that fets them at work ufually fitting by,and overlooking^buc 
its hardly pofli^le , efpecially where many are employed, to, 
watch them fo narrowly , but that they may fteal part of what 
they find, as many times fomeof them do,and/elling it private- 
ly, convert to their own ufe. If they find a large Stone ^ ihey 
carry it not prefently to their Employer , but keep on looking, 
having an eye on bim till they obferve he takes notice of it^^when 
with a turn of their hand they give him a glimpfe of it, but de- 
liver ic not till they have dene work , and then very privately^ 
it being the general endeavour to conceal what they find, lead ic 
fliould come to the knowledge of theGovernour of the place, 
and he require a (hare, which in the Kingdom of Golconda is u ^ 
fually prafticed , without refpeft to any agreement made with 
them. 
The Miners, thofe that employ them, and the Merchants that 
buy the Stones of them, are generally Ethnicks^^ ootaM»/i/^. 
man^ that ever I heard of, followed the employment. Thcfe La- 
bourers and their Employers are TtUing^s^ commonly Natives of 
or near the place. The Merchants are the Banians of Guzzarat^ 
who for fome Generations have forfaken their own Country to 
takeup theTrade,in which they have had fuchfuccefs, that 'tis 
nowfolely engrofs'd by them ; who correfpondingwiih their 
Country-men in Surrat^ Gca,Gokonda^VifiApore^ AgradiVid DM- 
lee^ and other places in Z;;^/^, furnifh them all with Diamonds. 
The Governours of the Mines are alfo Idolaters : In theKing 
'of Golcondas Dominions a Tellwga Brammee rents moft of them^ 
whofe agreement with the Adventurer is, that ali the Stones they 
find under a Pitgcda weight, are to be their own | 
all of that weight and above it to be his, for the V Pagoda 
Kings ufe : But although this Agreement befigned ^ ^ ^"^^ ^"^'^ 
and fealed uatOj he minds not at all the performance thereof, but 
endeavours^.' 
