Ch. 1: Diamonds of India

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	2 DIAMONDS. was of opinion that those of Soumelpour, a distinct locality, were the oldest workings in India. In this account I have attempted to give references to the most important authorities* on the subject of Indian diamonds and diamond workings both ancient and modern, but my knowledge of the ancient literature of India is too limited to enable me to give a resume of what may be recorded on the subject in native writings. The late Professor Blochmann had, I know, culled from many sources notices in Arabic, Persian, and Urdu on the subject of the mineral productions of India, but these have, unfortunately, never been published. According to Captain Burton, the Indian diamond was first made famous in Europe by the French jeweller, Jean Baptiste Tavernier (born 1605, died 1689), who made six journeys to India in order to purchase precious stones. Tavernier himself, however, alludes to a previously existing trade, which at least dates back to the time of Marco Polo. Before the year 1728, the production of diamonds was practically limited to India and Borneo, but in that year the first diggings were opened in Brazil. Tavernier did not visit Borneo, he tells us, in consequence of having been informed that the queen of that island would not permit the removal of any gems out of her dominions. But the courageous old traveller seems to have been ready to go anywhere in the pursuit of his trade, undeterred by risks and dangers. He seems to have fared well in India, and * One of the most complete accounts of the diamond deposits of India is by Karl Hitter (" Erdkunde Asien," vol. vi. Berlin, 1836).

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