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DIAMONDS.
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The
first visit to the latter region by a European of which I have been
able to find a record was made by the already-mentioned French jeweller
Tavernier,* who appears to have gonethere somewhere about 1665. He
says:—
I
come to the third mine, which is the most ancient of all, in the
kingdom of Bengala. You may give it the name of Soumelpour, which is
the name of the town next to the place where diamonds are found, or
rather Gouel, which is the name of the river in the sand whereof they
seek for the stones. The territories through which this river runs
belong to a Raja who was anciently tributary to the Great Mogul, but
revolted in the time of Sha Jehan and Gehan Guir, his father. So soon
as Sha Jehan came to the empire he sent to demand his tribute of this
Raja, as well for the time past as to come, who, finding that his
revenues were not sufficient to pay him, quitted his country, and
retired into the mountains with his subjects. Upon his refusal, Sha
Jehan, believing he would stand it out, sent a great army against him,
persuading himself that he should find great store of diamonds in his
country. But he found neither diamonds, nor people, nor victuals— the
Raja having burnt all the corn which his people could not carry away,
so that the greatest part of Sha Jehan's army perished for hunger. At
length the Raja returned into his country, upon condition to pay the
Mogul some slight tribute.
Then follows an account of the route travelled over by Tavernier from Agra, via Allahabad and Rhotas, to Soumelpour. He continues :—
Soumelpour is a great town, the houses whereof are built of earth, and covered only with branches of cocot trees.
* "Travels." London. 1678. Book ii. chap. xiii. p. 139.
+ Probably the leaves of the Tal palm. The cocoa-nut does not occur there at present. Elsewhere, however, it has been found at as great a distance from the sea.
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