DIAMOND-MINE of Soumelpour, or river Goual.—Soumelpour is a large town built all of earth, and covered with branches of cacao-trees: the river Goual runs by the foot thereof, in its passing from the high mountains towards the south to the Ganges, where it loses its name. It is from this river that all our fine diamond points, or sparks, called natural sparks, are brought. They never begin to seek for diamonds in this river till after the great rains are over, that is, after the month of December; and they usually even wait till the water is grown clear, which is not before January. The season at hand, eight or ten thousand persons, of all ages and sexes, come out of Soumelpour and the neighbouring villages. The most experienced among them search and examine the sand of the river, going up it from Soumelpour to the very mountain whence it springs. A great sign that there are diamonds in it, is the finding of those stones which the Europeans call thunder-stones. When all the sand of the river, which at that time is very low, has been well examined, they proceed to take up that wherein they judge diamonds likely to be found; which is done after the following manner: They dam the place round with stones, earth, and fascines, and lading out the water, dig about two foot deep: the sand thus got is carried into a place walled round on the bank of the river. The rest is performed after the same manner as at Coulour, and the workmen are watched with equal strictness.