354 T/k? Nizam Diamond . [July, 
of Golconda. These diggings lay upon the river sepa- 
rating the capital from Bijapur. The discovery began 
about A.D. 1565 with a peasant finding a stone gauging 
25 carats. Here, we are told, appeared the Koh-i-nur 
(goo carats), which “ Mirzimolas,” or “ Mirgimola,” the 
“ Captain of the Moguls,” presented to the Emperor 
Auranzib. The 60,000 hands used to dig to the depth 
of 10, 12, or 14 feet, but as soon as they met with 
water there was no further hope of success. Tavernier’s 
last visit was to “ Soumelpore ” (Sambalpur) “ a town of 
Bengala, on the River Gowel,” a northern affluent of the 
Mahanadi. The season for washing the diamantiferous land 
began in early February, when the water ran clear, — other 
authors make it extend from November to the rainy season, 
—and the 8000 hands extended their operations to 50 kos up 
stream. Gold, and the finest diamonds in India — locally 
called “ brahmans ” — were found in the river bed and at the 
mouth of the various feeders. 
In 1688 and 1728 Captain Hamilton describes the 
diamond mines (probably those of Partial in the Northern 
Circars) as being distant a week’s journey from Fort 
St. George, and records the faCt that the Pitt diamond was 
there brought to light. 
The diamond was practically limited to Hindostan and 
Borneo before A.D. 1728, when diggings were opened in the 
Brazils. The specific gravity of the diamond averages 3*6, 
and the difference of oxide in the crystallised or allotropic 
carbon does not exceed the third place of decimals. This, 
however, makes all the difference in lustre, for a small bril- 
liant of perfect water is far more effective as an ornament 
than a larger stone of inferior quality. As far back as 1868 
my study of the Brazilian diamond formation enabled me to 
prognosticate that the gem would be found in places where 
its existence had never been suspeCted. Since that time 
diamonds have been found in the Cudgegong River, near 
Rylston, New South Wales, and more recently in South 
Africa : these stones are inferior to those of the Brazils, 
yet they have reduced the value of the latter by one-third. 
“The diamond mines of Golconda,” according to Mr. 
Briggs, “ derive their name from being in the kingdom of 
Golconda, and not from being near the fort. They are at 
the village of Purteeali (Partial), near Condapilly, about 
150 miles from Haydarabad, on the road to Masulipatam.* 
* Mr. Maclean kindly drew my attention to the Treaty with the Nizam 
(Nov, 12, 1766), which cedes to the East India Company “ the five Circars or 
provinces of Ellour (Ellore, north of Masulipatam), Rajahmoudra Siccacole 
