Madras Presidency in which there are or have been diamond mines are the following :—Kadapah, Karnul, Kistna, and Godaveri ?
Proceeding northwards, the next locality at which there were mines was at Bhadrachellum on the Godaveri.
The
second great tract occupies a considerable area between the Mahanadi
and Godaveri rivers. Although diamonds are known but from two
neighÂbourhoods within it, still, from our present knowledge of their
geology, to which I shall presently allude, it is not improbable that
the diamond-bearing strata may have a wide range. The two
neighbourhoods referred to are Sambalpur, with the bed of the Mahanadi
for many miles above it, and Weiragurh or Weiragud, eighty miles to the
south-east of Nagpur.
Again,
as an outlier to this second tract, there are two or three localities
within the province of Chutia Nagpur where diamonds are known to have
been found.
The third great tract is situated in Bandelkhand.. near the capital of which, Panna, some of the principal mines are situated; but there are others scattered about in various parts of that province or kingdom.
Some
authorities make allusion to a discovery of diamonds in the bed of the
Ganges, but I have failed to trace this statement to its source, and I
am not in possession of any particulars.
Lastly,
about ten years ago some small diamonds, stated to have been found in a
hill-stream near Simla, were forwarded by Sir E. C. Bayley to the
Geological Museum at Calcutta.
