382 
DIAMOND. 
These precious stones are principally found in 
the East Indies, in the kingdoms of Golconda and 
Visapoui, in the peninsula on this side the Ganges, 
nearly 18 degrees from the line. They are like- 
wise found in the kingdoms of Pegu and of Siam, 
in Biasil, and in South America. One circum- 
stance is worthy of remark respecting the situation 
of diamond mines : it is that those of America are 
at the same distance in the southern hemisphere, 
that the Asiatic mines are in the northern. The 
diamonds of India are in general larger and of a 
finei water than those of Brasil, but by no means 
so abundant. As a proof of this, Patrin tells us 
that when the mines of Brasil were first discovered, 
the Portuguese were so successful in their researches, 
that in 1/30 the Bio-Janeiro fleet brought away 
eleven hundred and forty-six ounces. This pro- 
digious quantity, brought immediately into the mar- 
ket, so reduced the price of diamonds, that, to pre- 
vent their becoming too common, the court of Por- 
tugal afterwards confined the employment of dia- 
ld hunting to a certain number of persons. 
The account which Tavernier has given us of 
the diamond mines of Asia is very circumstantial, 
and deserves our particular attention, as being writ- 
ten by a person who travelled so many years for 
the sole purpose of collecting diamonds. The first 
mine he visited was at Raolconda, in the kingdom 
of Visapour, and the account he gives of this place 
is nearly as follows : 
