diamond
merchant; how in the end of 1701 Jamchund, in company with one Vincaty
Chittee, called upon him in order to effect the sale of a very large
diamond. Mr. Pitt, who seems to have been himself a very considerable
trader in precious stones, was appalled at the sum, two hundred
thousand pagodas ($400,000), asked for this diamond. He accordingly
offered thirty thousand pagodas; but Jamchund went away unable to
sacrifice his pebble for such a sum. They haggled over the matter for
two months, meeting several times in the interval. The Indian merchant
made use of the classical expressions of his trade, as, for example,
that it was only to Mr. Pitt that he would sell it for so insignificant
a sum as a hundred thousand pagodas. But all this was of no avail and
they consequently parted again without having effected a bargain.
Finally
Jamchund having resolved to go back into his own country once more
presented himself, always attended by the faithful Vincaty
