The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-14 00:00:00

THE LEGEND OF THE KOH I-NOOK.

There is &Strange and gleamy superstition in India I :.
respecting the possession at the Koh-l-noor—that famous ,
diamond which all Ragland went mad to see in the Crystal •
Palace in Hyde-park, and which the Hindus say entails
rain and destruction on every dynasty that possesses it.
This is its history, so far back u it can be traced.
The earliest years of the Koh-i-noor are last, like the ha-
ginning, of all great things, in the obscurity and mists of
time.: Neer Joemlah, its lint historical possessor, is sup-
pued to have torn it from a native Hiadoo prince, sad is
known to have presented it to Autumn* the Emperor of
Hindustan. With him then begins its historical ezilitence.
At the death ofAurungsehmtbe fortunes of his bousedeelined,
sad the empire osusolidated by him with so much skill and
power stumbled to pieces so soon as his powerful hand was
withdrawn: A complete desolation earns over India on the
invasion of that tyrant-robber, Nadir Shah of Persia. He
took the Koh-istoor Irom Mahound Shah, the degenerate
Emperor of Hindostes • and after plundering Dihke, and
Audi* its streets in blood—after committing cruelties and
amuse that make one blush for humattity,end after gather-
ing up a fabulous amount of spoil from his victims—he set
out on his return to Persia ; but never to reach it. He was
smassistated by his chiefs In the mountains of Cabal, and
Ahmed Shah Decorum the first KiSgof Cabal, secured the
Hoh-racer as his share of the plunder.
His dynasty lasted till our own times; but a fate hung
over it parallel only to that which brooded so darkly over
the fortunes of ../Egisthus. Parricide, usteder, feast, tresses,
rebellion—those make up the annals of Ahmed Shah
Doormat's house : the only slternatiou being. from crime to
misfortune, from sorrow to sin. Shah Shoop, driven into
exile, sought hospitality as a fugitive king irons Busiest
Sing. The fatal Noh-i-moor was still preserved to him—
. almost the only remnant of his former wealth. Rimiest
Sing knew that be had the diamond with him, and starved
him till he gave it .op to hint which the poor weak craven
runaway was at last compelled to do. Boos afterwards
Banjul Sing entered into an allience, offensive and defen-
sive, with oar government, one of the objects of which was
the absurd one of replacing Shah Steeds on the throne of
CabuL When the alliance was concluded Riskiest Sing
died, bequeathing the diamond to the god Juggernaut. His
' bequest was disregarded -, and aftersrapid succession of
' members of his family had each in turn obtained possession
' of the. Kett-isioor, and each in turn some to morrow and to
I ruin, the British government destroyed the Sikh nation,
and Lord Dabossie sent the Rob-inoor to Queen Victoria.
l This, then, is the history of this famous diamond, end
; these are the facts oa which is founded the superstition that
E no dynasty possessing the fatal gem can prosper or cutlass.
This superstition has a material truth. Be many forms,
l coincidences could not fail of leading to a like conclusion
i' for that which ij to WHIN after; the dark Chagos, of sushi a
past mist inevitably fall on the pathway of the future. Bat
it has also i spiritual truth, which is, that ill-gotten wealth
seldom prospers with thou who have gotten it, and that, if
I' petite sleeps for one generation, she wakens up with her
i cited sword brandished before the eyes of &nether. The
Hoh-i-noor has been fatal to all its
.posseisers, because they ,
• were all men of violence and of crime; they ruled law-
l Sealy, and they plundered ruthlessly, and that plundered
i wealth turned to •lIIVeI. not to blessings,, in their hands.
: With us—when the people of India shall be riled in justice
and in mercy—the chief ruler of England may wear the
' Rob four o• a biow uninjured by its aye Wel blue ; but
' until then, until jostles and not lawlessness, right and not
violence, aimed by the Indies throne in oar Braids balls of
government, we may fear that the fate of the Koh•i-noor, ,
may be fulfilled bete as in Hisdostan end that ruin may
Meow robbery, and judgment some after oriole.—Pen and
Pima.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENair7N

CASUALTY. . •
Berwick Walls, Darlingtoe, from Bombay, at tali pest% *
the 29th January, whets off .the Cap* of Good Hope.
very heavy squall from N. W., lost three topmasts sad jib.
Mom, sae split courses, .te • was employed for tam
imagist is my lam weather off Cep* L'Atuake, fit
easing up her amts.—Liverpool, April 11.

161•11.1410 L Batra AT FOAM)! Polllll.—Kath aask
and Bt. Vinesat, at Cape of Good Hope; Acadia (ao
Karnak (ca.), Meth& (ea.), and Delta (sal, tor Cowie.
daopio it Mills; Spermaintf, et Trieste; Cassia.*
Hsr re ; Lusatia, at Hamburg ; Boma, Alai. and Cada%
at Helvast. _ _

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