In
regard to this exchange of turbans (writes Colonel Dalton) the family
annals tell a strange tale. In the Raja's turban were some very
valuable diamonds, which it is insinuated had excited the cupidity of
Captain Camar. The proposal for the exchange emanated, it is said, from
him. He declared it was the English method of swearing eternal
friendship, but the Captain had no diamonds in his head-dress, and the
Raja evidently concluded that he had been rather "done" by the
Company's officer.
In
Gangpur, the Icha river, which is a tributary of the Ebe, is believed
to have been the site of diamond washings. I have, however, myself
heard the Ebe, near its sources, spoken of as the Hira (diamond) river.
An early reference to Gangpur diamonds occurs in Dalrymple's " Oriental
Repertory," vol. ii. 1808, p. 261.
Geology.—The
geology of the localities on the Sunk and Icha rivers is not yet known.
Possibly it may be found that there are outliers of the
[Mahanadi-Godaveri] Vindhyan formation in their vicinity.
Bandelkhand.
The writers who have described the diamonds and diamond mines of Bandelkhand from personal observation are many ;* besides them there are also not a fewf
*
Franklin, Captain, " Asiatic Researches," vol. xviii. p. loo ;
Jacquemont, M. V., "Voyage dans 1'Inde," tome i, p. 399; Adam, Dr.,
"Jour. Asiatic Soc. Bengal," vol. xi. p. 399 ; Hamilton, Dr., "
Edinburgh Phil. Jour.," vol. i. p. 49; Medlicott, H. B., " Mem. Geol.
Survey of India," vol. ii. p. 65 ; Mallett, F. R., ibid., vol. vii. p. 113; Rousselet, M., "L'Inde des Rajahs," &c. &c.
t Carter, Dr., "Geological Papers on Western India;" Burton, Captain, Quarterly Journal of Science, N.S., vol. vi. p. 351. 1876.
