this
chamber Akel Khan, the chief keeper of the jewels, who as soon as he
saw me commanded the four eunuchs of the king to go and fetch the
jewels which were brought on two wooden trays lacquered with gold-leaf,
and covered with cloths made on purpose, one of red velvet and one of
green velvet embroidered. After they were uncovered and had been
counted, each piece two or three times, a list was drawn up by the
three scribes present. Indians do all things with much care and
deliberation, and when they see any one acting with precipitation or
getting angry they look upon it as a thing to laugh at.
"The
first piece which Akel Khan put into my hands was the great diamond
which is a round rose, cut very high on one side. On the lower edge
there is a slight crack and a little flaw in it. Its water is beautiful
and it weighs 319 1-2 ratis which make 280 of our carats, the ratis
being 7-8 of our carat. When Mergimola (/. e. Emir Jemla) who
betrayed the king of Golconda, his master, made present of this stone
to Shah Jehan to whose court he retired, it was rough, and weighed then
900 ratis which make 787 1-2 carats, and there were several flaws in
it. If this stone had been in Europe it would have been differently
treated, for several good slices would have been taken off, and it
would have remained heavier instead of which it has been entirely
ground down. It was Hor-tenzio Borgis, a Venetian, who cut it, for
which he was sufficiently badly recompensed, for when it was seen, he
was reproached with having ruined the stone, which should have remained
heavier, and instead of paying him
