'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.' [‎138] (457/1024)

138 Travels in India. . Part IT
I III! ' ' 1 1 I, - — . . ®
ter, is to carry the Stone under a Tree thick of Boughs, for by the verd
of that fliade you may eafily difcern whether the Water be blewifh or no ^
The firft time I was at the Mine, there were above fixty thoufand p er r
at work, men, woman, and children ^ the men being employ’d to dia t? 5
women, and Children to carry the Earth* t ine
After the Miners have pitch’d upon the place where they intend to wo lr
they level another place clofe by, of the fame extent, or elfe a little hige
which they enclofe with a Wall about two foot high. In the bottom of th^
little Wall, at the dilfance of every two foot, they make fmall holes to let inth
water; which theyftop up afterwards,till they come to drain out the water again
The place being thus prepar’d, the people that are to work meet all top ether
men, women, and children, with the Workmafter in the Company of his Friend
and Relations. Then he brings along with him fome little Image of the God
that they adore 3 which being plac’d upright upon the ground, they all p ro ,
ftrate themfelves three times before it, while their Prieh: fays a certain prayer"
The prayer being ended, he marks the forehead of every one with a kind* of
Glue, made of Saffron and Gum, to fuch a compafs as will hold feven or eight
Grains of Rice, which he Ricks upon it 3 then having wafh’d their bodies with
water, which every one brings in his pot, they rank themfelves in order to eat
what the Workmafter prelents them, before they go to work, to encourage
them both to labour and be faithful. This Feaft conlifts of nothing elfe but everv
one his Plate of Rice, diftributed by the Bramin ; for an Idolater may eat anv
thing from the hands of one of their Priefts. The Plates are made of the Leaves
of a certain Tree, not much unlike our Walnut-tree Leaves. Belides this eve
ry one has a quarter of a pound of Butter, melted in a fmall Copper pot’with
fome Sugar. 11 1 1
When their Feaft is over, the men fall to digging, the women and children
to carry Earth to the place prepar’d in that mannner as I have already deferib’d
They dig ten, twelve, and fometimes fourteen foot deep ; but when they come
to any water they leave off. AH the Earth being carry’d into the place before
mention d, the men, women, and children with Pitchers throw the water which
is in the drains upon the Earth,letting it foak for two or three days,according to the
hardnefs of it, till it come to be a kind of Batter; then they open the holes in
the to let out the water, and throw on more water ftill, till all the mud
be walh d away, and nothing left but the Sand. After that they dry it in tk
Sun 3 and then they winnow th'e Sand in little Winnows, as we winnow our
Corn. The fmall duft flies away, the great remains, which they pour out a-
gain upon the ground. 1
The Earth being thus winnow’d, they fpread with a kind of Rake, as thin
as they poflibly can ; then with a wooden Inftrument, like a Paviers Rammer,
about Talf a foot wide at the bottom, they pound the Earth from one end to
the other, two or three times over. After that they winnow it again then; and
Ipreading it at one end of the Van for fear of loling any of the Earth, tliey look
ior the Diamond. ;
Formerly they were wont to pound the Earth with Flint^ftones, inftead
01 wooden Rammers j which made great flaws in the Diamonds, and is there
fore now left off.
Heietofore they made no fcruple to buy thofe Diamonds that had a green
outhde; for being cut, they prqv’d very white, and of an excellent water. °
Since they have been more nice 3 for there was a Mine difeover’d between
Coti/oatr and which the King caus’d to be ihut up again, by reafon of
Some cheats that were us’d there; for they found therein that fort of Stones
which had this green outfide, fair and tranfparent, and which appear’d more
tair than the others; but when they came to the Mill they crumbl’d to pieces,.'