The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-06-19 00:00:00

THE SULTAN OF ZANZIBAR.

In London, on Tuesday afternoon, the Sultan, ac-
companied by four members of his suite, paid a visit
to the British Museum. A large crowd assembled
outside the gates to see him, but admission to the
Museum was limited to a very few persons, and his
Highness was enabled to view everthing with ease and
comfort (says the Daily News, from whom we are
quoting.)
On his arrival he was received by Mr. Winter Jones,
the principal librarian, and conducted to the great
central hall, where Dr. Badger explained how the
readers obtained admission, and the system on
which books were given out. The party next en-
tered the corridors, and inspected the reading
room from one of the galleries. While re-
turning, the Sultan asked if there were many
more books, and on Dr. Badger telling him
that what he had seen was' "but a drop in the
ocean," he expressed the greatest surprise, exclaiming
"it is a city of books." in the North Library some
volumes in Arabic attracted the Sultan's attention, and
Jae turned them over carefully, stopping here and there
to read a passage, telling Dr. Badger at the same time
in what dialect they were written. In the King's
Library an enormpus Atlas, dedicated to Charles
H. by the Dutch, and printed in 1662, was opened.
The eover ran on wheels, and this seemed to sur-
prise the Sultan very much. Just at the moment
he was surrounded by books on every side; throwing
up his hands and shaking his head, he declared that he
hardly knew where he was. In the manuscript room
his Highness asked to see a Koran, of which the
Archbishop of Canterbury had told him when calling
that morning. One volume was already lying on the
table ready for his inspection, but he expressed a wish
to see all the books, and the remaining six volumes
were accordingly got down. The date of this work,
which is on paper, most beautifully illuminated, is 775
of the Hegira, or about 1305 of our era. Like many
another valuable work, it was bought some years ago
very cheap for the Museum. As he turned over the
leaves, occasionally reading passages, the Sultan
showed that he is by no means a strict Mahommedan.
He occasionally lifted the leaves with his left hand
—a thing no Turk or Persian would have done.
Only under the direst necessity will they touch the
leaves of the sacred volume with the left hand, con-
sidering it an insult to the book. Several volumes in
the old Kutic or monumental character, used by the
Mahommedans for the first 200 years in which they
possessed manuscripts, were next Ivought down, and
these also were closely examined. " I must come
another day and look at these books," said the Sultan
on leaving the room, adding that his head was over-
come by seeing so much, and he was afraid he should
not remember it all. It was now nearly time to go,
and it was determined just to take his Highness into
one of the sculpture galleries and then to leave.
Accordingly he just looked down the bug cor-
ridors and began his farewell. "I must come again
early in the morning, when I am not tired," he said,
as he shook hands with Mr. Winter Jones. Just at that
moment one of the suite, walking farther on, caught
sight of some Etruscan figures, under a glass case, and
laughing loudly at their strange uncouth attitudes,
drew the Sultan's attention to them. "No, I am
not tired," said his Highness quickly, and turning
back he was soon examining these ancient figures
more than twenty-six centuries old. From these he
passed on to the winged man-headed bulls brought by
Sir Henry Rawlinson from Khorsabad ; Dr. Badger's
explanation of how these great stone monsters were
conveyed to England was interrupted by a question
whether these exhibits were not merely copies of
what were supposed to have existed in Nineveh.
An immediate answer that they were the originals
was not at first fully accepted, and for some
moments Dr. Badger underwent a sharp cross-
examination by the Sultan and one or two of the
suite, from which he came out triumphant, after having
fully described the way in which these sculptures were
found, raised, and brought over. Greater interest was
shown by the Sultan in this part of the Museum than
in any other he visited; through the ancient traditions
of his c9untry he was acquainted with the name of
Nineveh, and knew a little of its history as an ancient
city, but he was amazed to find in the Museum statues
and sculptures which had been brought thence. After
Ipoling at these for some time he turned to go,
again telling Mr. Winter Jones that he " must
come again soon." A number of ladies and gentlemen
from the reading rooms and galleries assembled to
see him leave, and he replied to their salutations
with a graceful downward wave of the right hand,
smiling at the same time most pleasantly. To his at-
tendants he said that he had enjoyed nothing so much
since his arrival, with the exception of his visit to the
Prince of Wales, where he was especially pleased with
the Royal children, and he several times said that he
hoped to be able to pay a much longer visit.