Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/572

 DIA [ 206 ] DIA

TheStones of this Mine are not very clear, and their Water A Rough Diamond muft be chofen uniform, of a good is ufually tinged with the Quality of the Soil, being black Shape, tranfparent, not quite white, and free' of Flaws, where that its Marfhy, red where it partakes of red, and and Shivers. Black, rugged, dirty, flawing, veiny Stones, fometimes green, and yellow, if the Ground happen to be and all fuch as are not fit for cutting, they ufe to pound in Of thofe Colours. Another Defect of fome Confequcnce is a Steel Mortar made for that Purpofe; and when pulverized, a Kind of fat Appearing on the Diamond, when cut, they fervc to faw, cut, and poli/h the reft. Shivers are oc- which takes off Part of its Luftrc. There are ufually no cafion'd in Diamonds by this, that the Miners, to get therrt 1 els than tfooco Perfons, Men, Women, and Children at more cafy outof the Vein ; which winds between two Rocks- Work in this Mine. When the Miners have found a break the Rocks with hugelron Leavers, which fhakes, and Place where they intend to dig, they level another fome- fills the Stone with Shivers.

what bigger in the Neighbourhood thereof, and inclofe it The Ancients had two miftaken Notions with regard to

with Walls about 2 Foot high, only leaving Apertures from the Diamond : The firft, That it became foft, by fteep-

Space to Space, to gi ve Paflage to the Water. After a few ing it in hot Goat's Blood. And the fecond, That it is

fuperftitious Ceremonies, and a Kind of Feaft, which the malleable, and bears the Hammer. Experience foews us

Mafter of the Mine makes the Workmen, to encourage them, the contrary ; there being nothing capable of mollifying the

every one goes to his Bufinefs, the Men digging the Earth in Hardnefs of this Stone ; tho' its Hardnefs be not fuch,' that

the Place firft difcover'd, and the Women and Children car- it will endure being ftruck at Pleafure With the Hammer,

tying it offinto the Wall round. They dig 12, or 14 Foot The fineft Diamonds now in the World are that of the

deep, and till fuch Time as they find Water. Then they Great Mogul, weighing 27pCarafls; that of the Great

ceate digging, and the Water thus found ferves to wafh the Duke of Tofcany, weighing 139 Caracts ; and that known

Earth two or three times, alter which it is let out at the i n France under the Name of Grand Sancy, which is one

Aperture referv'd for that End. This Earth being well of the Crown Jewels, weighing lo« Carafts, whence its

wafh'd, and well dryed, they fift it in a Kind of openSicve, Name Sancy, which is a Corruption ofCentfix, that is 106.

or Riddle, much as we do Corn in Europe j then thrafh it, Tavemier, by a Rule which he had made for Eftimatin£

and fift it a-freih ; And laftly fearch it well with the Hands the Value of Diamonds, computes that of the Great MogM

to find the Diamonds. They work naked as in the Mine at a 11000007232S French Livres, equivalent to 879-44

of Raolconda, and are watch'd after the like manner by In- Pound Sterling ; and that of the Duke of Tofcany, at

fpectors. 21*18335 Livres, or 195374 Pound Sterling.

DiAMONti-iKrae of Somnclpour, or River The following is a Rate, or Manner of Eftimating the

of Goual. Value of Diamonds, drawn up by a Perfon exceedingly

Soumelpour is a large Town built all of Earth, and co- well verfed in fuch Matters, and which, for its Curiofity,

vcr'd with Branches of Cacao-Trees, and the River of Goual as well as the Ufe it may be of, to Perfons who deal in

runs by the Foot thereof, in its pafling from the high Moun- precious Stones, we judge, will be highly acceptable, tains towards the South to the Ganges, where it lofes its

Name. 'Tis from this River are brought all our fine Dia- Diamonds cut Facet- or Table-wife.

Ttiond Points, or Sparks, call 'd Natural Sparks. They never Dutch Cut. begin to feck for Diamonds in this River till after the great

Rains are over, that is, after the Month of December ; A Diamond weighing 1 Lib. Sh. Lib. Sh. Sterl.

And they ufually even wait till the Water is grown clear, '• Grain, is worth from j* 1. o to 1. 1.

which is not before January. The Seafon at hand, 8, or i-j. -- 1. IS. to 1. 17.

icooo Perfons of all Ages, andSexes, come out of Soumel- 2 « -- 2. 15. to 3. o

pour, and the neighbouring Villages. The moftExperi- 2-j. -- 3. 12. to 3. 15.

enced among them fearch, and examine the Sand of theRivcr, 3> -- 4. 15. to 5. o

going up it from Soumelpour to the very Mountains whence 4- -- 7. 17. to 8. o

it fprings. A great Sign that there are Diamonds in it, 5- -- 15. o to 15. 15.

is, the Finding of thofe Stones which we Europeans *>• -- 22. o to 25. o

call "Thunder-Stones. When all the Sand of the River, 7. -- 30. o to 34. o

which at that Time is vety low, has been well examin'd, they 8. -- 42. o 1045. o

proceed to take up that wherein they judge Diamonds like- £• -- ^o. o — --

ly to be found 5 which is done after the following manner : 10. - ~ 75- ° — --

They dam the Place round with Stones, Earth, and Fafcines, 12. -- a 12. o to 120. o

and lading out the Water, dig about 2 Foot deep : theSand 15. - - 187. o to 220. o

thus got is carried into a Place wall'd round on the Bank of 1 9- -- 330. o to 380. o

the River, The reft is pcrform'd after the fame manner as 24. - - 450. o —

at CmtlottP, and the Workmen watch'd with equal 50. - 700. o to 73;. o

Striflnefs. 40. - 1500. o to 1800. o

DiAMOND-ilfoe in the Ifland of Borneo, or River 5°- ~ 35°°- ° to 4500. o

c/Succudan. 60. - - 4500. o to 5*20. □

We are but little acquainted with this Mine ; The Queen * h r

who reigns in that Part of the Illand not allowing Strangers Jmewerp l>ut.

to have any Commerce in there Stones : Tho' there are very A Diamond weighing - ) Lib. Sh. Lib. Sh. Sterl.

fine Ones to be bought at Satavia, brought thither by 1. Grain, is worth from f o' 15. to o 18.

Stealth. They wete anciently imagin'd to be fofter than i|. --- 1. 6. to 1. ,10.

thofe of the other Mines, but Experience fhews, they are in 2. --- 2. 2. to 2. 5.

no refpeel inferior to them. Befide there four Diamond- 3. - *■ - 2, 12. to 3. 15.

Mines, there have been two others difcover'd ; one of them 4. --- 6. o to 6. 7.

between Coulour and Raolconda, and the other in the Pro- 5. --- 10. 10. to 11. 5.

vincc o{ Carnatica - 7 but they were both clofed up almoft as 6. --- 13. 10. to 15. o

foon as difcover'd : That of Carnatica, by reafon the Wa- 7. --- 18. 15. to 22. 10.

ter of the Diamonds was always either black, or yellowy 8. --- 24. to 2<S. o

and the other, on Account of their cracking, and flying in 9. ---33. 15. — --

Pieces when cut, and ground. 10. --- 37. o to 40. o

The Diamond, we have already obferv'd, is the hardeft 12. --- 55. o to 58. o

of all precious Stones. It can only be cut, and ground by 15. -- - 112. o to 130. o

it fell, and its own Subftance. To bring it to that Perfection, 18. -- - 247. o — o

which augments its Price fo confiderably, they begin by 24. -- - 315. o — o

rubbing feveral againft each other, while rough ; after 40. -- - 900. o to 970. o

having firft glued them to the Ends of two Sticks, or Blocks, 50. -- - 2200. o to 2300.0

thick enough to be held in the Hand. 'Tis this Powder 60. -- - 3500. o to 4500. o

^T^frfb'hw C l' and, recd T' d 'f* ««* Box for It muft be obferv'd, however, that Defefls in the Water,

mI V 3 tl t F m i'^P h{l1 theS r° neS ;„, or Shape; red, or black Spots; Shivers, and other Failings

V^nonds an = cut and pohftr'd by means of a Mill, g ^ found in the fe P St0 ' nes reduce the p rice b ^

which turns a Wheel of foft Iron fprinkled over with thi / d and fometimes more

Diamond BuO. mixt with Oil of Olives. The fame Dull „' „ - 7 ° " °~ 1- t> ■ ■ -

well ground, and diluted with Water and Vinegar, is ufed in M S ""f"' e > or ^-Diamonds, the Price is always

the rawing of Diamonds, which is perform'd with an Iron lefs V T I >r than ^ at of Table-Diamonds ; tho' the

or Brafs-Wiar, as fine as a Hair. Sometimes in lieu of faw- Weights be the fame ; the reafon is, that the latter ihew

ing the Diamonds they cleave them, efpecially if there be then }fclvcs a great deal more when fet in their Collets, than

any large Shivers therein. But the Europeans are not da- former.

ring, or expert enough to run theRifque of cleaving, for fear Attempts have been made to produce Artificial Dia-

of breaking. monis, but with no great Succefs.

■-; The