EXTRACT FROM TAVERNIER’S VOYAGES,

236

the edge of one of the facets. But it muff be obferved, that as the merchant likes betterto fee a black fpot than a red one in a done; when they meet with a done having a redfpot, they bum it, which caufes it to appear black. With this artifice I became atlength fo well acquainted, that on feeing a quantity of dones produced from themine, fome of which had facets, and particularly thofe with fmall facets, I was wellaffured fuch dones had fome little fpeck or flaw.

There are a number of diamond cutters belonging to this mine, each of which has onewheel only, which is of deel, and is nearly the fize of our plates. They place but onedone on each wheel, which they keep continually fupplying with water, till they havefound the way of the done. That done, they take oil and are not fparing of the dia-mond powder, it being cheap, caufing the done to run quicker, and they load thedone with more of it than is ufual with us. I have feen one hundred and fifty pounds oflead put upon one done; it was, it is true, a large done, and weighed one hundredand three carets after it was cut, which was done on a mill after our fafhion, and thegreat wheel was turned by four negroes. The Indians are not of the fame opinionwith us, and do not believe it is the burden which occafions the flaws in the dones. Iftheirs take no flaw, it is becaufe they have always a little boy, who, with a fmall fpatulaof wood held in his hand, continually fupplies the wheel with oil and diamond powder:to which may be added, their wheel goes not fo fad as ours, becaufe the woodenwheel which works that of deel is not much more than three feet in diameter.

They have not the art of giving that fine polifh to the dones, as we do in Europe 5which I fuppofe is owing to their wheel not running fo fmooth as ours. For it beingof deel, they, when it requires to be rubbed with emery, which is neceffary everytwenty-four hours, are obliged to take it from the tree, and in replacing it are not ableto make it run fo fmooth as it fhoukl do. If as with us they had iron wheels, for whichno emery is required but the file is ufed; as there is no occafion to take the wheelfrom the tree in order to file it, they might then give a finer polifh to their dones thanthey are at prefent able to do. I have before obferved, that it is neceffary every twenty-four hours to rub the wheel with emery, or to file it, and it would if the workman isnot idle be better if it was done every twelve hours. For when the done has run acertain time, that part of the wheel on which it turned becomes fmooth as glafs, andif frefh furrows are not made with emery or the file the powder will not day on it ;without which fo much work cannot be done in two hours as in one with it.

Though the diamond is naturally hard, and has in it a fort of knot fimilar to that inv/ood, yet the Indian diamond cutters always cut the done, which Europeans find greatdifficulty in doing, and frequently will not undertake, choofing rather to give fome-thing to the Indians for fhaping it.

To return to the order of the mines. Traffic is there carried on liberally and withfidelity. On all that is bought, a duty of two per cent, is paid to the King, who alfoderives a revenue from the merchants for permidion to dig the mines. Thefe mer-chants, after having in company with the miners examined the fpots where the diamondsare found, felect a place of about two hundred feet in extent, where they employ fiftyand fometimes a hundred miners, according to the expedition required. From thetime they commence mining, the merchants for fifty men pay daily to the King twopagodas, and four when a hundred are employed.

Thefe poor people gain no more than three pagodas a-year, and mud be expertat their trade to acquire even that. As their wages are fo fmall, they make no fcruplein fearching among the fand to conceal if poffible a done for their own profit, andfeeing entirely naked with the exception of a fmall cloth around their middle, they

8 dexteroufly