Travels in India (Tavernier) 87.2
Travels in India (Ball) 87.2
- Language
- English
87.2.1
If by chance a stone is found which weighs above 7 to 8 mangelins, it is taken to the master of the mine, who by way of recompence gives a sarpo, which is a piece of cotton cloth to make a turban, of the value of 25 to 30 sols, and generally with it half a pagoda in silver, or otherwise a pagoda, when rice and a plate of sugar are not given. The merchants who go to the mine to buy, remain in their dwellings, and every morning at from 10 to 11 o’clock the masters of the miners, after they have dined (for the Banians never leave their houses till they have washed and eaten), take their diamonds to show to them. If the parcels are large, and contain many stones of the value of from 2000 up to 15,000 or 16,000 écus, they leave them, confiding them to the foreign merchant for seven or eight days or more in order that he may examine them with care. When the stones have been examined, and are returned by the merchant, if they suit him he should conclude the transaction at once, otherwise the owner of the stones wraps them in a corner of his waistband, his turban, or his shirt, and departs, so that one never sees the same stones again, or at least they are mixed with others, should the miner return in order to bring another parcel. When the transaction is concluded the purchaser gives an order for payment on the Shroff or person who issues and receives bills of exchange.
87.2.2
If you have agreed to pay in three or four days, and delay longer, you have to pay interest at the rate of per cent per month. Most frequently, when the merchant is known to be solvent, a bill of exchange on Agra, Golconda, or Bijapur is preferred, but more especially one upon Surat, where, as it is the most famous port in India, the dealers desire to purchase the commodities which come in vessels from foreign countries, and which are suitable for their wants. It is very pleasant to see the young children of these merchants and of other people of the country, from the age of ten years up to the age of fifteen or sixteen, assemble every morning under a large tree which is in the square of the town. Each has his diamond weights in a little bag suspended on one side, and on the other a purse attached to his waistband, which contains as much as 500 or 600 gold pagodas. They seat themselves there awaiting the arrival of any one who wishes to sell diamonds, either of the place itself or of some other mine. When any one brings a stone he places it in the hands of the eldest of these children, who is, so to speak, the chief of the band ; he looks at it and places it in the hand of him who sits next. Thus it goes from hand to hand till it returns to the first one without any one saying a word.
87.2.3
He then asks the price of the article, in order to purchase, if possible; and if by chance he buys at too high a price he is responsible. In the evening these children count up what they have purchased, and after examining the stones separate them according to their water, weight, and cleanness. Next they price each as they expect to dispose of them to strangers, and by this they see how far the value exceeds the cost of purchase. They then carry them to the great merchants who always have a number of parcels to match, and all the profit is divided among the children, save only that their chief receives a quarter per cent more than the others. Young as they are, they know the value of all the stones so well that if one of them has bought a stone and is willing to lose a half per cent, another gives him cash for it. Seldom can you show them a parcel of stones, containing a dozen, where they will not discover among them four or five having some flaw or some point or some defect at the angles. It remains to be said that these Indians have much regard for strangers, and especially for those whom they call Franks. Immediately on my arrival at the mine I went to call upon the Governor of the place, who also rules the Province on behalf of the King of Bijapur.
87.2.4
He is a Muhammadan, who having embraced me, assured me I was welcome—not doubting that I had brought gold with me (for at all the mines of Gol- CONDA and Bijapur they speak but of new pagodas, which are golden coins), and that I had only to place it in my lodging, where it would be safe, and he would be responsible for all I had. Besides the servants whom I brought with me he allotted me four others, and commanded them to keep a watch on my gold by day and night, and to obey all my orders. Shortly after I had left him he sent to recall me, and on my return : “ I sent to seek you,” he said, “ in order to assure you again that you have nothing to fear — eat, drink, and sleep, and have a care for your health. I have forgotten to tell you to be careful not to defraud the King, to whom 2 per cent is due on all your purchases. Do not attempt,” he continued, “to do as some Muhammadans did who came to the mine, and combined with the merchants and some brokers to withhold the royalties of the King — saying that they had only purchased to the value of 10,000 pagodas, while they had invested more than 50,000.” I then commenced to purchase, and saw that there was a sufficiently large profit to be made, all being 20 per cent cheaper than at Golconda, in addition to which, one sometimes, by chance, met with large stones.
87.2.5
One day towards evening a Banian, poorly clothed, having indeed only a band round his body and a miserable handkerchief on his head, came towards me politely and seated himself by my side. In this country one pays no attention to dress, and a person who has but a miserable ell of calico about his loins may sometimes have a good parcel of diamonds concealed. I, on my part, treated the Banian with civility, and after he had been for some time seated by me he asked me through my interpreter if I wished to buy some rubies. The interpreter told him to show them to me, upon which he drew a number of small rags from his waistband, in which he had about a score of rings mounted with rubies. After I had examined them I said that they were too small for me and that I sought large stones. Nevertheless, remembering that I had been asked by a lady at Ispahan to bring her a ruby ring of the value of about 100 écus, I bought one of his rings which cost me nearly 400 francs. I knew well that he did not value it at more than 300 francs, but willingly risked the additional 100 francs in the belief that he had not sought me to sell the rubies only, and because I understood from his manner that he desired to be alone with me and my interpreter in order to show me something better.
87.2.6
As the time of prayer of the Muhammadans approached, three of the servants appointed by the Governor left, and the fourth remaining to wait upon me, I found an excuse for getting rid of him by sending him to buy bread, where he remained a sufficiently long time. For all the people of this country being idolaters, content themselves with rice, not eating bread, and when a person wishes for it it is necessary to have it brought from a distance, from the fortress of the King of Bijapur, where the Muhammadans reside. The Banian, seeing that he was alone with me and the interpreter, after having, with a good deal of mystery, removed his headdress, untwisted his locks, which, according to the usual custom, were bound round his head. Then I observed a small rag appearing amongst these locks, in which there was concealed a diamond, weighing 48 of our carats, of beautiful water and of cabuchon shape, three-quarters of the stone clear, save for a small flaw which was on one side and appeared to penetrate some distance into the stone. The remaining quarter was full of flaws and red spots.
87.2.7
While I examined the stone, the Banian, seeing the attention which I gave to it, said, “Do not trouble yourself now, you will see it to-morrow morning at your leisure when you are alone. When a fourth of the day has passed,” it is thus that they speak, “you will find me outside the town, and if you wish for the stone you will bring the price of it with you,” and he then stated the amount he wanted for it. For it should be stated en passant that after this fourth of the day the Banians, both male and female, disappear into the city or town where they dwell, both for the purpose of satisfying the ordinary necessities of nature and for the purpose of bathing, as well as for the prayers which their priests require them to repeat. The Banian having named this hour—because he did not wish any one to see us together—I did not fail to go in search of him, and carried with me the price he had asked, less by 200 pagodas, which I kept apart, in reserve. But in the end, after we had bargained for a short time, I gave him 100 pagodas extra. On my return to Surat I sold the stone to a Dutch captain, from which transaction I earned a fair profit.