The Arizona sentinel., 1886-05-01
FAMOUS GOLCONDA.
Former Rich Diamond-Producing Regions
 Now Declining.

Former Rich Diamond-Producing Regions Now Declining.
 Probably the most famous diam ond mines of India were the Golconda, the stones from which were renowned for their size and beauty and are scattered among people of every nation on the globe. The Golconda mines were situ- ated at Raolconda in the territory of the Golconda Kings and have been in the possession of the English for many years, but have long since been aban- doned, and, it is believed, are practical ly exhaused. At one time sixty thousand people were employed in the mines, and the Sultan Mahmoud, who reigned A. D. 1177-12O6, left in his treasury more than four hundred pounds wei ght of the gems from these mines.
 The diamonds of Hindoostan are found in alluvial soil or the more re- cent rocks. Shallow pits are exca- vated to the diamond beds, which lie below the surface of the ground in a conglomorate of rounded stones under two distinct layers, the uppermost a mixture of sand, gravel aud loam, and the other thick black clay or mud. There are five main groups of beds in Hindoostan, as follows: l. The Cuddapah, on Pennar river; ?. The Randial, between the Pennar and the Kistna rivers; 3. The Ellore, or Golcon- da, on the lower Kistna river; f. The Sumbullpoor, north of the Godavery river; ,. The Panna, between the rivers Sonar and Sone. Some of the Indian diamonds are found by washing the earth from the rivers.
 The Brazilian diamonds are found mainly in the provinces of Minas Geraes and Bahia. When first found the spark ling stones were thrown away as worth less. In 1727, however, Portuguese named Fonseca Lobo, who had seen rough diamonds in India, discovered the true nature of the stones. In 1754, a slave who had been transported from Minas Geraes to Bahia, discovered dia- monds in that province. The discovery in Brazil caused a panic in the diamond trade at the time, but the business grad ually accommodated itself to its new channels. The Brazilian diamonds usual ly occur in alluvial soil, enveloped in conglomerate formed of rounded white quartz pebbles and light colored sand. The latter is washed in large basins un- der water.
 It is estimated that up to 1850, the province of Minas Geraes had yielded about 5,084, 900 carats of diamonds, of value of about S45, 100000. In addition to this must be considered the contra band trade at the beginning of the cen- tury, which amounted to about SIC, ,000,- GOO. The Minas Geraes stones differ from the Bahia in shape and color. Their form is more regular, many hav- ing the filed crystalizations, which is a property of the South African stones, and their color is more uniform in its greenish tints, without any yellow reflection, than the Bahia stones. Shortly after the discovery of diamonds in the province of Bahia, the number of persons employed reached 25,0OO, and the daily produce of the mines was 1,450 carats. The number of miners gradually decreased to be- tween five and six thousand, owing to the uncertainty of the rewards and to the state of the market, but in 1S49 the production in Bahia amounted to 932,- 400 carats.
 The total produce of the Brazilian diamond fields was, up to 1851, over 10,000,000 carats. The total value of the production from 1861 to 1867 was S9.440,00O. In Brazil large diamonds are rarely found. It has been estimated that in 10000 specimens, rarely more than one weighing twenty carats is met with, while perhaps 5000 of one carat or less may be found. There are occa- sional exceptions. Thus, in 1851 dia- mond weighing 12O 3-S carats was dis covered in the province of Minas Geraes. and few years later one of 107