72 ROUTES TO THE MINES book ii
of
gold of the size of the nail on the little finger, and as it is
impossible to clip them without it being apparent, they bore small
holes in them all round, from whence they extract 3 or 4 sols value of
gold dust, and they close them with such skill that there is no
appearance of the coins having been touched. Moreover, if you buy
anything in a village, or if when you cross a river you give the
boatmen a rupee, they immediately kindle a lire and throw the rupee
into it, from whence if it comes out white they accept it, but if black
they return it; for all the silver in India is of the highest quality,
and that which is brought from Europe has to be taken to the mint to be
recoined. I say also that those are very much deceived (as a merchant
tried to make me believe on my first journey) who imagine that it
answers to take to the mines spices, tobacco, mirrors, and other
trifles of that kind to barter for diamonds ; for I have fully proved
the contrary, and am able to assert that the merchants at the mine who
sell the diamonds require good gold, and the best too.
Now
let us say something as to the routes to be followed to the mines. Some
modern rather fabulous accounts represent them to be, as I have said,
dangerous and difficult, and frequented by tigers, lions,1
and barbarous people ; but I have found them altogether different from
what they were represented to be—without wild beasts, and the people
full of good will and courtesy to strangers.
As
for Golkonda, one need know but little of the map to be aware of its
position; but from Golkonda to Rammala-kota, where the principal mine
is, the route is less known, and this is the one which I followed. The
measure of distance in this country is the gos, and a gos is equal to 4
French leagues.2
From
Golkonda to Canapour, 1 gos ; Canapour to Parquel, 2 1/2 ; Parquel to
Cakenol, 1 ; Cakenol to Canol-Candanor, 3 ; Canol-Candanor to Setapour,
1 ; Setapour to the river, 2.3
1 Lions are not likely to have occurred so far south in India in Taver-nier's time (Blanford, Mammalia of British India, 57).
2 i. e. to, say, about 8 miles. (See vol. i, Appendix, p. 335.)
3 This route cannot be accurately determined. The stages possibly
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