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THE BOOK OF DIAMONDS
not by law, however, but in order to encourage the other laborers.
In
the year 1733 rough diamonds were not worth twenty shillings per carat.
In the year 1735 they were not worth thirty shillings; the year 1742
not more than thirty shillings. All of which may clearly be made to
appear from public sales in the above mentioned years. The above
cheapness may have been due to the fact that the Portugal King was
deeply in debt to other European countries and the Brazilian diamonds
were sold at public sale to pay off part of this debt.
An
American author, writing of the Brazilian fields in 1856, said that the
unhealthful climate had taken toll of a hundred thousand lives since
the discovery of the mines. Food and supplies were brought inland by
traders and sold at a profit of 500 to 800 per cent over the prices
prevailing in Rio de Janeiro. "Racketeering", it seems, is by no means
a modern idea.
Diamonds
of large size are seldom found in Brazil. Few have been found worthy of
mention when compared with the numerous large crystals of Africa. The
largest on record weighed 254 carats or about one-twelfth of the weight
of the Cullinan and a little over one-fourth the size of Excelsior.
Most of the diamonds run from !4 to Vi carat.
It
is said that in 1838 the diamond was used by the Indians as playthings
for their children. As Brazil borrowed her gold mining through Portugal
from the Romans, so she has taken her system of diamond washing from
Hindustan.
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