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DIAMONDS.
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An ingenious suggestion by Karl Ritter (Erdkunde Asien) has led
me to inquire into the identity of Soumel-pour of Tavernier with the
modern Sambalpur. There can belittle doubt that they are not identical.
The Gouel river, which runs into the Ganges, is doubtless the Koel,
and, according to Tavernier's indication, Soumelpour must have been in
the district of Palamow, in Chutia Nagpur. Perhaps the present town of
Semah marks the spot.
The
first visit of importance to the true Sambalpur on the Mahanadi is
described in the narrative of a journey which was undertaken by Mr.
Motte in the year 1766.* The object of this journey was to initiate a
regular trade in diamonds with Sambalpur, Lord Clive being desirous of
employing them as a convenient means of remitting money to England. His
attention had been drawn to Sambalpur by the fact that the Raja had, a
few months previously, sent a messenger, with a rough diamond weighing
i6| carats as a sample, together with an invitation to the Governor to
depute a trustworthy person to purchase diamonds regularly. The
Governor proposed to Mr. Motte to make the speculation a joint concern,
" in which," writes the latter, " I was to hold a third ; he the other
two ; all the expenses to be borne by the concern. The proposal
dazzled me ; and I caught at it, without reflecting on the difficulties
of the march, or on the barbarity of the country," &c.
In
spite of his life being several times in danger from attacks by the
natives, the loss of some of his followers by fever, and a varied
chapter of other disasters, Mr. Motte was enabled to collect a
considerable amount of interesting information about the country.
Owing to the disturbed state of Sambalpur * "Asiatic Annual Register." London. 1799.
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