be laid bare, and the gravel washed by the simple contrivances known to the natives.
It
is impossible to say at present which the actual bed or beds of rock
may be from whence the diamonds have been derived, as there is no
record or appearance of the rock ever having been worked; but from the
general lithological resemblance of the sandstones and shales of the
Barapahar hills and the outlier at Borla with the diamond-bearing beds,
and their associates at Panna, in Bhandelkand, and Banaganpilly, in
Karnul, I have very little hesitation in pointing to these rocks as, in
all probability, including the matrix. Above Padampur, the Mahanadi
runs through rocks of this age, and I should therefore strongly urge
upon any one who may hereafter embark upon the undertaking of
searching for diamonds in Sambalpur, to confine his operations, in the
first instance, to the streams and small rivers which rise in the
Barapahar hills and join the Mahanadi on the south. Besides the obvious
advantage of being—as I believe would be found to be the case—close to
the matrix, these streams would, I think, be found to contain
facilities for obtaining a sufficient head of water for washing
purposes. Such works would require but a few labourers, and could be
carried on for a much longer period every year, say altogether for
eight or nine months, than would be possible in the case of the
washings in the bed of the Mahanadi itself.
According
to the accounts received by me, the southern channel of the Mahanadi
used not to be emptied in the Raja's time; but from various causes I
should expect it to yield, proportionately, a larger number of diamonds
than the northern. In the first place, the stronger current in it would
be more efficient
D 2
