148 CONSTANTINOPLE. 
carry on their trade. Here all the dust is 
collected, and carefully examined ; and that 
articles of value are constantly found in it, 
is evident in the sum paid for collecting it. 
Small bits of gold and silver are of course 
found ; but we were told that diamonds, which 
the dealers carry about in paper packets, 
are dropped and lost, and make a part of 
Diamonds, the gaius. The number of diamonds exhibited 
to us by persons in this bazar, was very 
great. If we asked for precious stones, when 
we were accompanied by a Janissary, the 
merchants, who are generally Armenians, would 
shake their heads, and say they had none : 
such articles of trade never being exhibited 
in shops, as in London ; but carried secretly 
in the girdles and pockets of the dealers, 
and generally in their bosoms. When a 
traveller ventures alone into the bazar, he 
finds them all seated, cross-legged, upon their 
counters; and having prevailed with one of 
the dealers to produce his stock of gems, 
the rest readily follow the example. Little 
white paper packets are then opened, which 
are filled with diamonds, almost all of them 
being what are called roses; and many ble- 
Q^^ mished, which are sold very cheap. For 
precious ametkysts, we paid as high as two piastres the 
