The
Diamond-diggings in the immediate neighbourhood of Panna (or Punnah)
in Bundelkhund, have been described by Mr. Medlicott, formerly Director
of the Geological Survey of India. They do not cover an area of more
than 20 acres. Great pits, 25 feet in diameter and, perhaps, 30 feet in
depth, are dug for the sake of reaching the Diamond conglomerate,
which, in many cases, is not more than a span in thickness. The miners
enter the pit by means of inclined planes, and work almost naked and
knee-deep in water. The material which they dig up is put into baskets
and hauled by manual labour to the surface, where it is carefully
searched for Diamonds. The most productive Diamond mines in this group
were, in i860, to be found in the village of Sukariuh, about twenty
miles from Panna Here the upper stratum, from 15 to 20 feet thick, had
to be broken through in order to reach the rich Diamond-bed which lay
concealed underneath.
Four kinds of Diamonds were found at Sukariuh. They were termed, ist, Motichul, clear and brilliant ; 2nd, Manik, verging in tint towards green ; 3rd, Panna, with a faint orange tint ; 4th, Bunsput, sepia coloured.
Diamonds are found under the cascade of the river
Bagin, from 700 to 900 feet below the present Diamond
strata ; and the only explanation hitherto given is that
the Bagin has brought these precious stones down from
, the table-land, with other matter torn from its native bed.
Diamond-mining
in India under European management does not appear hitherto to have
been successful. It is erroneous, however, to suppose that there is any
real exhaustion of the localities where mining is possible. On the
contrary, geological examination has proved that the Diamond-bearing
strata are very widely distributed ; but it is doubtful whether the
same working operations are
Flickr
Stumbleupon
Scribd
