chap, XVIII HOW TO PRICE A DIAMOND 73
This river is the boundary between the Kingdoms of Golkonda and Bijapur.
From
the river to Alpour, 3/4 gos ; Alpour to Canol, 3/4; Canol to
Raolconda, where the mine is, 2 1/2. Thus in all it is 17 gos, or 68
French leagues from Golkonda to the mine.1
From Golkonda to the mine of Coulour, or Gani,2
it is 13 3/4 gos, which amounts to 55 of our leagues. From Golkonda to
Almaspinde, 3 1/2 gos ; Almaspinde to Kaper, 2 ; Kaper to Montecour, 2
1/2 ; Montecour to Nazelpar, 2 ; Nazelpar to Eligada, 1 1/2 ; Eligada to Sarvaron, 1 ; Sarvaron to Mellaserou, 1 ; Mellaserou to Ponocour,3 1 3/4.
Between Ponocour and Coulour or Gani (Kollur) there is only the river * to cross.
I come now to an important subject which is little understood in Europe.
Rule for ascertaining the proper price of a Diamond of whatsoever weight it may be, from 3 up to and above 100 carats.
I do not mention diamonds below 3 carats, their price being sufficiently well known.
are: Golkonda; Konador; Burgal; Koyalconda; Kandanfil; Saidupur ; the river here crossed is the Kistna.
1
This route is : Kistna river to Alampur; Alampur to Karnul; Karnul to
Rammalakota. It crossed two rivers, namely the main stream of the
Kistna and its tributary the Tungabhadra, Alampur being situated in the
fork between, and Karnul being on the south bank of the Tungabhadra.
The total of these distances, as printed, is 14 1/2 gos, which at 4
leagues to the gos would be equal to 58 leagues. The true distance by
this route would be about 135 miles, which is equal to the 17 gos, or
68 leagues. Hence some of the stages must be understated.
2
See p. 56 where it is shown that Gani (Kan-i) is only a Persian prefix
signifying ' mine of', and that Coulour is identified with Kollur on
the Kistna.
3
The total of these distances is 15 1/4 (not 13 3/4) gos, which, as
above, would be equal to 61 leagues. The distance of the first stage is
evidently wrong, being in reality only about 10 miles. The distance by
the route given in bk. i, ch. xi, is 76 coss. Here, again, the route is
uncertain. As worked out by Ball, the stages are ; Almasguda ;
Munugudu; Nagulpad (Naglepar in ed. of 1678); Lingalla ; Sarawaram ;
Mailacheru.
*
The river here mentioned is the Kistna, and Ponocour must have been in
the position of Vellutar. Vellatoor, lower down the Kistna, is quite
distinct.
