Travels in India (Tavernier) 87.1.2

87.1.2

The first of the mines which I visited is situated in the territory of the King of Bijapur in the Province of Carnatic, and the locality is called Ramulkota, situated five days’ journey from Golconda, and eight or nine from Bijapur. The fact that the two Kings of Golconda and Bijapur were formerly subject to the Mogul, and were then only Governors of the Provinces which they acquired by their revolt, caused it to be said, and makes it said still by some people, that the diamonds come from the Kingdom of the Great Mogul. It is only about 200 years since this mine of Ramulkota was discovered, at least so far as I have been able to ascertain from the people of the country. All round the place where the diamonds are found the soil is sandy, and full of rocks and jungle, somewhat comparable to the neighbourhood of Fontainebleau. There are in these rocks many veins, some of half a finger in width and some of a whole finger ; and the miners have small irons, crooked at the ends, which they thrust into the veins in order to draw from them the sand or earth, which they place in vessels ; and it is in this earth that they afterwards find the diamonds. But as the veins do not always run straight, and some ascend, while others descend, they are obliged to break the rocks, always following the direction of the veins.