“The sultan was pleased with the proposal; but,
recollecting how apt he was to change his humour,
and how ill he received me when I returned from his
tin-mines, I had the precaution to represent that,
as this undertaking would be attended with considerable
expense, it would be necessary that a year’s
salary should be advanced to me before my departure
for Golconda; and that, if the payments were not in
future regularly made, I should be at liberty to resign
my employment, and return to Madras. Prince Abdul
Calie was present when the sultan pledged his word
to this, and gave me full powers to employ certain
of his artificers and workmen.
“I shall not trouble you with a history of all
my difficulties, delays, and disappointments, in the
execution of my undertaking; however interesting they
were to me, the relation would be tiresome to those
who have no diamond-mines to drain. It is enough
for you to know that at length my engines were set
a-going properly, and did their business so effectually,
that the place was by degrees cleared of water, and
the workmen were able to open fresh and valuable veins.
During all this time, including a period of three
years, my salary was regularly paid to the Gentoo
merchant, Omychund, in whose hands I left all my money,
upon his promising to pay me as high interest as what
I could obtain at Madras. I drew upon him only
for such small sums as were absolutely necessary;
as I was resolved to live with the utmost economy,
that I might the sooner be enabled to return in affluence
to my native country.
“And here I must pause to praise myself, or
rather to rejoice from the bottom of my soul, that
I did not, when power was in my hands, make use of
it for the purposes of extortion. The condition
of the poor slaves, who were employed by me, was envied
by all the others: and I have reason to know
that, even in the most debased and miserable state
of existence, the human heart can be wakened by kind
treatment to feelings of affection and gratitude.
These slaves became so much attached to me that, although
the governor of the mines, and certain diamond merchants,
were lying in wait continually to get rid of me some
way or other, they never could effect their purposes.
I was always apprised of my danger in time by some
of these trusty slaves; who, with astonishing sagacity
and fidelity, guarded me while I lived amongst them.
“A life of daily suspicion and danger was, however,
terrible; and my influence extended but a little way
in making others happy. I might, for a short
season, lessen the suffering of these slaves; but still
they were slaves, and most of them were treated scarcely
as if they were human beings, by the rapacious adventurers
for whom they laboured.
“These poor wretches generally work almost naked;
they dare not wear a coat, lest the governor should
say they have thriven much, are rich, and so increase
his demands upon them. The wisest, when they find
a great stone, conceal it till they have an opportunity;
and then, with wife and children, run all away into
the Visiapore country, where they are secure and well
used. [Footnote: Philosophical Transactions.]
