The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-06-12
MISCE | ! A u I D ] 5.

From the Scientific American.
LONDON, May l6th, ls


septed is q beautiful designed iron gate, which
-sbould attract the attention of our cOuntrymen.
have seen some castings in iron here which
surpass anything of the kind ever expected
70 see, and this gate is one of them. 1t Is pla-
aed within the grand entrance, and forms a
subsidiary bar; the scene beyond this gate Is
magniicent,- let me pass on to describe
something have not yet in any of my letters
described, this is the great diamond Of Lahore,
..the Mountain of Light This diamond is
now the property of the crown of England; 1t
once sparkled in the coronet, 1t Is SAID, OF the
princes of Persia. 1t is displayed IN a machine
formed for its reception by Mr.. Chubbs, the
celebrated lock manufacturer, of London This
machine is impregnable. The diamond is let
down into it's recess at night, and raised for ex-
hibition in the morning. Mr.. Chubbs' diamond
case is extremely ingenious, but nobody except
the maker fully understands the mechanism. 1t
has to defend property, valued at one million
sterling, which might be slipped into ones
pocket without greatly increasing its bulk.
This great diamond has an interesting history.
it was the property of Runjeet Singh during his
life The able Sikh leader had two estimates
cf its value. He knew its worth in money, but
ho knew also that it possessed influence which
money could not buy; for the Hindoos regarded
it as the symbol of power and success, and it is
worth 'sten thousand men, to an ambitious
prince The political Importance of ''the
Mountain of Light induced its removal to Eng
land; but it is the greatest of the worlds gems
the premier diamond that earth has yielded
yea.
Among the statuary there is splendid work
Of art by German artist from Berlin. 1t is
most noble group, and it is rumored that some
OF our countrymen have become the purchasers.
1t is called the ''Amazonian Group" and is an
smbodyment in statuary of familiar painting
The Queen of the Amazons is mounted on a
splendid charger A lion las sprung at the
lady on the horse, fixed his huge claws in the
horses neck, and hangs suspended by them be-
tween the horses fore legs. 'The lEpazon poi
ses her spear and is i'll the attitude Of striking.
Her expression is most admirable, and nobody
can doubt that the next act of the tragedy will
bury that javelin deep in the lions neck for the
lady has u muscular arm, and will be felt when
she strikes.
and bust and figure, there is added such face
of exquisite beauty in cool, determined revenge,
as l never saw.
This is allowed to be the finest group in the
building and if true that it is destined for
America, it will command universal admira-
ton. There is group of Milton and his two
daughters, glorious composition, and then a
short distance from them stands one of the no
bic if not the most noble of English Reformers,
John Hampden, and Hampden, what
names! how the heart thrills as they are men
toned. Statuary is grouped in all directions.
a lion of immense bulk, said to be one of four
intended to form a group at one of the gates of
Munich occupies a large space, and resembles
large mansion in size This casting is shown
chiefly for its magnitude, and in that respect is
admirable, and probably unrivalled.
colossal equestrian statue of Godfrey de
Bouillon, from Brussels, follows, follows the
last-mentioned group, and is remarked at once
from its magnitude. ''Achilles Wounded" forms
splendid production. The Grecian hero who
believed himself to be invulnerable, is represen-
ted as bending, and turning to seize the arrow
which has penetrated into his heel, and seems
to culver yet in the wound. The figure in that
posture was necessarily bold and difficult un
dertaking for the sculptor. The face of Achill
es is peculiarly handsome, although he is evil
IDENTIFY suffering considerable pain; but the ar
asts powers were necessarily taxed, by the
nature Of the tale, to mingle pain and astonish-
ment, disappointment and incredulity, in the
same features. Achilles was dipped by his
mother IN Styx, to render him invulnerable,
nu' she grasped him by one heel in the opera
uon' ana then omitted to bathe it.
But here must stop, for the works of art
would make up respectable catalogue, by the
mere enumeration of their names
An American railroad bridge in our depart
msnt attracts considerable attention The lar
seS' plate of glass that ever saw, or that is in
'ne world, IS here 1t measures 18 feet in
meg oy lO feet, and was cast by the Thames
fiase Glass Company. 1t is the prince of mir
fOfS-a noble plate, worth journey to see, and
trophy in glass manufacture that places Eng
'sGa In this respect far over all competitors.
ihe improvements which have been made in
'he glass manufacture here, within few years,
a'''nish the German visitors, who were conf