Unpublished paper, 'Present State of the Diamond mines of Golconda [India]' by T J [Thomas John] Newbold

Description

Newbold shares an account of the tract of country in which the diamond mines of Golconda are situated, and of the processes by which the diamonds are obtained. He describes the process of digging out the rolled pebbles and gravel, and carrying them to small square reservoirs, raised on mounds, having their bottom paved with stones, and then carefully washing them. Dry weather is selected to carry on these operations, in order to avoid the inconvenience and expense of draining. A description is then given of the mines of Banaganpully [Banaganapalli], Munimudgoo, Condapilly [Kondapalli], Sumbhulpoor [Sambalpur], and Poonah in Bundlekund [Bundelkhand].

Includes one figure in the text showing a section of land between the diamond mines and the river. Annotations in pencil throughout. Marked on back as 'Archives 11 March 1841 S H C [Samuel Hunter Christie]'.

Subject: Mineralogy

Read 17 December 1840. Communicated by Samuel Hunter Christie.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 4 of Abstracts of the Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London [later Proceedings of the Royal Society] as 'Present state of the diamond mines of Golconda'.

Reference number

AP/23/36

Earliest possible date

1840

Physical description

Ink and graphite pencil on paper

Page extent

22 pages

Format

Drawing
Manuscript