EXTRACT FROM TER'VERNIER’S VOYAGES.

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Having in this manner lifted all the earth, they fpread it out with a fort of rake,keeping it as finooth as poffible. Then with a billet of wood in the lhape of a largepeftle, of about half a foot broad at the bottom, they all begin to beat the earth,, fromone end to the other, which they do twice or thrice, when putting it again into thebalkets they fift it once more, after that they fpread it out as before, and laftly collecttt altogether in one fpot in order to fearch for the diamonds, in doing which, they arefuperintended in the fame manner as at Raolconda.

Formerly, inftead of billets of wood to beat the earth with, they made ufe of peb-bles, which was the occafion of fo many flaws in the (tones.

In regard to the King’s duty, the fum they pay annually fo the miners employed,and the reward they beftow on any one’s bringing to the mafter a larger (lone than or-dinary, the fame cuftom is obferved as at Raolconda. Until latterly they made nodifficulty in buying diamonds externally of a green colour, becaufe when cut they ap-pear white, and of a very fine water.

Within this thirty or forty years, they have difcovered a mine between Coulour andRaolconda, but the King caufed it to be (hut up on account of the impofitions pra&ifed,which I will explain in a few words. At this mine they found (tones that externallyprefented this green cruft, large and tranfparent, and which appeared even finer thanthe others, but when they came to grind them they broke in pieces. Neverthelefs,when they grind them with a diamond of the fame nature, produced from the famemine, they do not break, but if placed on the wheel immediately fly in pieces. This isthe reafon they are careful not to buy any which have been ground, for fear of beingdeceived, and it is owing to the difcovery of this impofition, as I have before obferved,that the King has caufed the mine to be (hut up.

During the time that Meffieurs Fremelin and Francis Breton were prefidents for theRnglifh company at Surat, a Jew , named Edward Ferdinand, a free merchant, that isto fay, not belonging to any particular company, entered into a partnerftip with thefetwo gentlemen for the purchafe of a (lone, a (hort time after the mine was difcovered;fhis (lone was clear, of a good (hape, and weighed forty-two carats. Edward comingto Europe , Meffieurs Fremelin and Breton delivered the (lone into his hands to fell itto the bed: advantage he could on their account. On his arrival at Leghorn , he (hewedJ t to fome Jew 's, his friends, who offered him for it near twenty-five thoufand piaftres, butbe not being willing to take lefs than thirty thoufand, and they not agreeing to give it,be carried the (tone to Venice in order to get it cut. It had been well ground withoutteceiving any damage, but no fooner was it placed on the wheel than it broke in ninepieces. I was myfelf once deceived with one of thefe (tones which weighed two ca-mts, and broke in fmall pieces on the w'heel when it was half cut.

CHAP. III .—Continuation of the Author’s Journey to the Diamond Mines.

I NOW come to the third mine, which is the moft ancient of all, and fituated injbe kingdom of Bengala. This mine may be called Soumelpour, being the name of ab* r ge town, near the place where the -diamonds are found, or rather Gouel, which isthat of the river, in whofe fand they are difcovered. The land through which thisfiver takes its courle, is part of the territory of a Rajah -who formerly was tributary toGreat Mogul, having revolted during the wars which took place between Cha-k'ban and Gehan-guire, his father. As foon as Cha-Gehan was raifed to the throne,be fent to demand tribute of this Rajah, as well for the prefent as the paft, when, he

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