Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-09-06
From Galagnani's Messenger.
Russian Crown Diamonds.

The Crown Treasury of the Czars at Moss
COW contains precious stones of considerable
amount. The two most considerable are dia-
monds, one the size of Il pigeons egg, rose
cut. The Russians have given it the name of
the Orloff. The other has the form of an ir.
regular prism, and is of the size and almost
the length Of a little finger: it bears the nam
of the Shah, and its history is as follows: 1t
formerly belonged to the Sophis, and was one
of the two enormous diamonds which orna.
mented the throne of Nadir Shah, and which
were designated by the Persians by the names
of "Sun Of the Sea" and "NIoon of the Nouns
tain." When Nadir was assassinated, his treas
sures were pillaged, and his precious stones
divided among a few soldiers, who carefully
concealed them. An Armenian namad Shafras
resided, at that period, at Bussofa, with his
two brothers.
One day an afghan came 10 him and offered
for sale the large diamond, 1.-THE Moon of the
Mountains" as we'll as an emerald, a ruby of
fabulous size, a sapphire of the finest water,
called by the Persians the aye of Allah" and
q number of other stones, for the whole of
which he asked such q moderate sum that
Shattras suspected that they had not been no.
nestly come by, and told him to call again. as
he had not the money in the house. The Aft
CHAN, fearing Shafras was going to act with
treachery towards him, left the place and could
not again be found, although the three broth~
ers made every search for him. Some years
after the elder brother met the man at Bagdad,
who told him that he had just sold all his pres
cious stones for $4,000 piastres and a pair of
valuable horses. Shafras had The residence of
the purchaser, who was a Jew, pointed out TO
him, and he went to him and offered him dou-
Bile the price he had given for them, but was
refused. The three brothers then agreed TO
murder the Jew and rob him of his purchase,
which they did, and on the following day poi>
soned the afghan, and threw both the bodies
into the river.
A dispute soon after arose between the. bros
theirs, as to the division of the spoil, which ter.
minated in Shafras getting rid of his two bros
theirs by poison, after which he fed to Com
stantinople, and thence to Holland, where he
made known the riches he possessed, and Offer
ed them for sale TO the different Courts of Eu.
rope. Catherine II. proposed to buy the Moon
Of the Mountains only. Shafras was request.
ed to come to Russia, and he was introduced
to the Court jewefer. The terms demanded
by Shafras Were-letters of nobility, a life
annuity of 10000 ru5les, and 5O0.00O roubles
payable by equai instruments in ten years.
Count Panin, who was then Minister, DELAYED
me settlement OF the bargain as long as pos
si6ie, and in the mean time had the Armenian
led into such extravaganza that he fell into
debt, and when the Minister found he was un-
able to pay what he owed, he abruptly broke
off the negotiation.
Shafras, according to the laws of the coun-
try, could not leave until his dbts were paid,
and the Court jeweler prepared to take advan~
tage of his endorsements, and intended that
the diamond should fall into his hands for u
fourth of its value. Shafras, however, discov.
cred the trap that had been laid for him, and
disposing Of scme Of the less valuable stones
among his countrymen, paid his debts and dis
appeared. Agents were sent after him, who
had even orders to assassinate and rob him
but he escaped them. Ten years after, while
he was at Astrachan, renewed offers were
a1ade 10 him, bnt he refused to enter into anv
negotiations unless The bargain should be sets
lied at Smyrna. Catherine accepted and be.
cam the possessor of the diamond for letters
Of nobility, 100000 roubles, and 10000 pa~
per rOubles, making together about two and a
half millions of francs. Shafras, not Being
athletic return to his country, where he would
have had to give an account of two homicides