'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎137] (456/1024)

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Book II.
Travels in India.
Officer hearing of my arrival, went and gave notice to the C^di and Sty-Bandr^
who fent for me. The Cadi prefendy askM me, if the Money I had left 4 * in the
Chamber where the perfon dy ? d vyere mine, anjd how l cotylcj prove It. * I told
him I had no better proofs than the Letters of Exchange which I had brought
to the Banker that paid it by my order to the perfon deceas’d ^ to whom I
had alfo giv’n farther order, that if the Banker paid me in Silver, he ihould
change the fum into Gold. Thereupon the Bankers were fent for, who affirm
ing the payments accordingly, the Cadi fent his Deputy to op’n the Chamber
door} nor would he leave me, till! had counted over my Money, and had
affiir’d him it was right. After that I return’d to the Cadi and the Sha-Barjder :y
and fignifi’d as much to them} and having paid them fome Fees which they
demanded, to the value of four Crowns and a half of our Money, I return’d
them my thanks for their care. This I relate to ffiew the juftice of the Country.
CHAP. XII.
The Authors Journey to the other Mines ; add how they find the
Diamonds there.
S Even days journey from Golconda Eaflward there is another Diamond Mine,
call’d in the language of the Country Gnm y in the Ferjian tongue Codour.
It is near a great Town, by which the fame River runs, which I crofs’d coming
from the other Mine } and a League and a half from the Town is a high Moun
tain in the form of a Half-Moon } the fpace between the Town an the Moun
tain is a Plain where they dig and find Diamonds. The nearer they dig to the
Mountain, the larger Stones they find} but at the top they find nothing at
all.
It is not above a hundred years fince this Mine was found out by a Country-
anan, who digging in a piece of ground to fow Millet, found therein a
pointed Stone that weigh’d above twenty-five Carats } he not knowing what
the Stone was, but Being it glifter, carry’d it to Golconda^ where as it-happen’d.
Well for him, he met with one that traded in Diamonds. The Merchant In
forming himfelf of the place where the Stone was found, admir’d to fee a jewel
of that biguefs, not having feen any one before that weigh’d above tenor twelve
Carats. However his report made a great noife in the Country} infomuch that
the Mony’d men in the Town fet themfelves to work, and cauling the ground
to be fearch’d, they found, and ftill do find bigger Stones, and in greater quan
tity than in any other Mine. For they found a great number of Stones from
ten to forty Carats, and fometimes bigger ; among the reft that large Stone
that weigh’d nine hundred Carats, which Mirgimola prefented to Anreng-z.eb.
But though this Mine of Codour be fo coniiderable for the quantity of great
Stones which are there found, yet the mifchief is, the Stones are not clean ;
the Waters having fome thing of the quality of the Earth where they are found.
If the Ground be merfhy, the Water enclines to black } if it be red, there is a
rednefs in the Water; in other places the Stones appear fomewhat greeniffi, in
others yellowith; fuch a diverllty of Soils there is between die Town and the
Mountain. Upon the moft part of thefe Stones after they are cut, there appears
a kind of greaiie moifture, which muft be as often wip’d off.
As for the Water of the Stones, it is. remarkable, that whereas in Europe
We make ufe of day-li ght to examine the rough Stones, and to judg of their
Water, and the fpecks that are found therein, the Indians do all that in the
night-time, fetting up a Lamp with a large Wiek, in a hole which they make
in the Wall, about a foot fquare } by the light whereof they judg of the Wa
ter and clearnefs of the Stone, which they hold between their Fingers. The
Water which they call celeftial is the worft ofall, and it is impoffible to difcern
it fo long as theSto/ie is rough. The moft infallible way to .find Out that Wa«
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