Gems Notes and Extracts Augusto Castellani, Mrs. John Brogden 1871

DIAMOND. 81are found ;the most famous of them being situated nearLandak, one of the principal cities.The largest are sent to Batavia, whence they godirectly to Holland. The smallest are sold at Pontianak.At Murtapsera, the ancient residence of theSultan, the inhabitants themselves search for diamondsin the surrounding mines.About the year 184o diamond deposits were discoveredin the district of Doladoulo, in Sumatra. Inthe Malays, the islandof Celebes has some, but thereare very few at Java.The Chinese have so few diamonds that one canscarcely believe they possess any mines. The signs ofrank, and the precious decorations of which the Celestialemperor, the imperial princes and mandarins makesuch parade, are in pearls, rubies, emeralds, sapphires,jade and coral, but diamonds are never seen.In Siberia diamonds have been found in strata offerruginous clay on Mount Ural ;and this discoveryhas destroyed the formerly received opinion concerningthe formation of this gem.Pliny had noticed the Eiver Gourmel, near Constantina,as being adamantiferous, and Hericart de Thury,in 1840, confirmed the truth of this opinion by presentingto the Institute of France some diamonds procuredthere by himself.About the year1729 Bernardo di Fonseca Lobodiscovered very rich diamond lands, sixteen leagueslong, and twelve leagues wide, at Erasile, in theprovince of Miiias-Geraes, a district of Serra-da-Frio.G