Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1875 — The Sultan’s Jewels. [ARTICLE]

The Sultan’s Jewels.

A Constantinople correspondent of the Providence journal writes: “The accounts which are given of the riches which are hoarded in the palace of the Sultan have the savor of the tales of the 1 Arabian Nights.’ Beyond doubt a vast deal of wealth in the form of diamonds and precious stones is accumulated there. The ostentatious display by the Shah of Persia of his wealth in this direction, on the recent tour of visitation with which he favored Europe, is well known. Among a profusion of jewels on his person he was accustomed to wear a cap heavily embroidered with diamonds and fastened at the front with a brilliant of enormous size. On the occasion when Che Sultan was to rpceive him as his guest the grand staircase and the corridor leading to the audience-room was, in anticipation of the arrival of the Shah, ordered to be laid with heavy Smyrna rugs studded all over with diamonds, emeralds and sapphires, so that the royal visitor was obliged to tread under his feet the evidence of greatness which he wore on his head. The Sultan received him as he stepped upon the staircase in a plain dress, wearing his usual simple fez of scarlet cloth, and without personal ornament of any kind. A neat bit of sarcasm for a barbarian! Any visitor at Constantinople can procure a Urman from the Sublime Porte to visit the imperial treasure-house at the old Seraglio, where he will see more wealth in jewel-studded trinkets, dia-mond-mounted sword-hilts, belts, scabbards, horse furniture and caparisons, cups, vases, articles of Eastern workmanship and single stones of immense value than would buy the crown jewels in the Tower of London twice over. A specimen of the contents of this repository in the form of a golden throne set with precious stones, and which were formerly a present from Persia, is to be sent to our Centennial Exhibition. It was one of the contributions of Turkey to the Vienna Exposition.”