escaped
my notice ; which is, that it has been also reported here by persons of
figure and unquestionable veracity, who happened to be at Fort St.
George, when it was reported that the Brazil mines had furnished
Europe with a great quantity of diamonds very cheap, that the India
people laughed, and said, it would not alter their price.
From
what has been observed, there seems room to think, that these diamonds
are the effect of the king of Portugal's subjects' trade, and not the
produce of his Brazil mines; for it cannot be thought any prince would
have countenanced such a disadvantageous method of disposing of the
produce of his own mines, as was practised in getting rid of them,
notwithstanding any redundancy; on the contrary, that he would have
restrained the sending any quantity, that must tend to sink their
value, which is always carefully avoided by the India people. And if it
were true that his Brazil mines so abounded with diamonds, they must be
come at with a great deal less expense than attends the search of
diamonds in India; and of course he must become the richest f2
