The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-03-23
Diamonds.

The most profound diamond amateur il
the world is the Duke of Brunswick; h'
owns 81, 100000 worth, and has just pub
lished a catalogue, of 26S quarto pages
containing a list of them in great detail
1t relates how this once adorned a Turkish
sabre, that royal diadem. another an I'M
perlal collar a third Grand Electoral
hat; this black diamond was an idols eye
that brilliant rosy diamond was taken from
the Emperor Baber, at Agra, III 1876, ut
weighs Al carats, and is worth S69,OO0,)
! those were the waistcoat buttons Of the
| Emperor Don Pedro; this diamond ring,
with the Stuart coat of arms and the cy-
| pher NJ. s., belonged to Mary, Queen OF
Scots; that pair of earrings hung once on
Maria Antoinette He is in treaty now for
two diamonds, one OF which is worth 1922,
| 900, and the other S6500O0 In an APP
pendiX, there is a notice Of the most cele-
I brated diamonds in the world, he places in
the front rank brilliant white diamond,
weighing 20 carats and belonging to some
East Indian prince, and worth s., 500, 900;
next comes the Koh-inoor, which weighs
1S6 carats, worth 81 ,3S3, $40; next the Ra
jah Of Matara's (Borneo) diamond, for
(which the Governor of Batavia offered the
Rajah $l50,0O0, two brigs of war, armed,
equipped, and provisioned for six months,
and large quantity OF cannon balls pow
der, and congreye rockets; the Rajah re-
fused them ali, and preferred keeping his
diamond, which passes fer talisman; it
is worth 81 .33q. 40 Next comes the Great
Mogul, which is of beautiful rose color,
and of the shape and size Of half hens
egg; il is worth S7S4.GOD the Regents
diamond of France, (Which belonged to
Il ct l,Tl
it from India, concealed in the heel of his
shoe,) comes only in the fifth rank; it
weighs 1861 carats-it is worth $639,siOi
1t is the purest diamond known; 1t re
quired two years 10 cut il; before il was
cut il weighed 40 carats; the clippings
Of it were sold for $40 600 After. We have
the O"lon diamond of Russia, worth sill
300. and the Saucy diamond, which Prince
Paul Demdof purchased at the price OF
100000. 1t once adorned the sword OF
Charles the Bold. found after his death on
the battlefield Of Nancy.
The Duke Of Brunswick dares not leave
Paris at any period Of the year; his dia-
monds keep him choiucd there. He dares
not sleep from home a single night. He
lives in house constructed no. 50 much
for comfort as for security. 1t : burglar
proof, surrounded on every side by high
wall. the wall It5clt l. surnCuuteu by
lofty iron railing. defended 10y innumera-
be sharp spear heads which are 50 con
triyel that If any person touches any one
Of them, a chime of bells begins instantly
to ring au alarm; this iron railing cost him
$i4I2I lie keeps his diamonds IN safe.
built IN a thick wall, his bed Is placed
against it. that 10 burglar may break into
il without killing, or at least waking him.
and that he may amusc himself with them
without leaving his bed The safe Is lined
with granite and with iron; the locks
have a secret which must be know u before
ttev can bc opened; if they are opercd by
violence. a discharge Of firearms takes
place. which VIII inevitably kill the bur
clar and Al the same time chime OF bells
in every room In his house are set ringing.
He has but one window in h.s bed room;
the sash j. Of the stoutest iron the shut
tiers are of thick sheet iron. The ceiling
of his room Is plated with iron several
iuche. thick, and 50 Is the floor. The
door opening into it Is Of solid sheet iron,
and cannot be entered unless one be mas
ter Of the secret combinations Of tie lock.
\ case of dozen six IaE:cled Teyolver~.
loaded and capped, lies o?2a upon the tn
be. within reach Of his bed.