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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1884.
always belonged, either to the Sadras or the aboriginal tribes, with whom they are much mixed up. This fact I hold to be of much importance in connexion with the explanation which I have offered of the origin of the diamond mining fable in connexion with the accounts of it given by Marco Polo and Nicolo Conti.
TAVERNIER (1665-1669).- In the accounts of his several journeys in India, Tavernier has given us a considerable amount of information, the value of which is, however, affected by the fact that these accounts contain a number of internal inconsistencies which it is impossible to reconcile with one another.
Diamonds.-Upon this subject the old jeweller naturally discourses at length." I shall only here mention that the diamond mines at Raolconda, Gani or Coulour, and Soumelpour have been identified by me with the modern localities, Râmulkota, Kolur, and a spot on the Koyil river in the district of Palaman in Bengal. Another locality which he mentions, namely, Gandicota, has also been identified. If Tavernier's statements regarding the discovery and cutting of the Great Moghul diamond are to be relied upon, then that stone must have been distinct from the koh-i-nur. When writing of their probable identity, I overlooked the independent evidence which exists as to the koh-i-nur having been in the possession of the Moghul emperors long previous to the time when, according to Tavernier, they acquired the Great Moghul.
Gold.-In reference to this metal Tavernier says :-"Towards the Tibet, which is the ancient Caucasus, in the territories of a Raja beyond the kingdom of Cashemir, there are three mountains close by one another, one of which produces excellent gold...."
“There is gold also comes from the kingdom of Tipra (Tiperâ on the borders of Asam); but it is coarse, almost as bad as that of China.”
If gold washing or mining was carried on in any part of Peninsular India at the time of his visits, it is certainly remarkable that he should have been unaware of it, especially as he had heard of its being worked for in Tibet and Tiperd. Still I cannot but suppose that there were washings in some remote regions of which he knew nothing.
Silver and Tin.-" As for silver mines (he writes), there are none in all Asia, but only in Japan; but some years since at Delegora, Sangora, Bordelon, and Bata (localities in the Malayan countries), have been discovered plentiful mines of tin, to the great damage of the English, there being now enough in Asia of their own besides (sic in English translation). The statement about silver is inconsistent with another made subsequently, that in Asam there were mines of both gold and silver.
Rubies, Sapphires, &c.-What Tavernier says on the subject of these stones shows that he was unaware of the existence of any source for them in Peninsular India. He says that they occur in only two places in all the east, and then forthwith mentions three. "The first is a mountain, twelve days' journey, or thereabouts, from Siren (ie. Siriam), toward the north-east, the name whereof is Capelan. In this mine are found great quantities of rubies and espinels, or mothers of rubies, yellow topazes, blue and white sapphires, jacinths, amethysts, and other stones of different colours... ..." "The natives of the country call all coloured stones rubies, and distinguish them only by the colour; sapphires they call blue rubies; amethiste, violet rubies; topazes, yellow rubies; and so of other stones." The ruby mines are described in the Economic Geology of India, p. 427. They are situated about seventy miles north-east of Mandalay, the capital of Ava." The other place where rubies are found is a river in the island of Ceylon. ... The people make it their business to search among the sands for rubies, sapphires, and topazes. All the stones that are found in this river are generally fairer and clearer than those of Pegu." "Some rubies, but more Ballei's rubies, and an abundance of bastard rubies, sapphires, and topazes, are found in the mountains that run along from Pega to the kingdom of Camboya."
Whether by Camboya Tavernier meant Cambodia, beyond Siam, is uncertain; but he can scarcely have meant Cambay. He says that it is an error to suppose that emeralds are found in the East. Those exported from the Philippines to Europe were first brought thither by Spaniards from Peru.
** Proceedinge, B Soc. Dub., for 1880.
+ Economic Geology of India.
