The daily gazette., 1876-11-18
LOSSES OF JEWELS.
BYC.J,

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BY CD, -,.. 80
Some strange stories could be told of
the losses of Jewels and other valuable
articles that have been recovered in a re-
markable manner, or altogether disap-
peared: We may relate a few incidents
OF this kind, for the entertainment of our
readers. -.u..' ----T--.-
During the Indian Mutiny, and after
the destruction of some of the rich pal
aces and temples, the soldiers picked up
many valuable articles, useless to them
selves, and which they frequently threw
away again, as troublesome to carry, or
gladly sold to any one who would give
them few rupees In exchange. Among
these acquisitions was a large, very
roughly cut diamond, WHICH had been
one of the eyes of a gorgeously painted
idol, enshrincd in one of the temples that
had been destroyed. A soldier picked it
out of its socket, and as it was rough,
dull-looking stone, he thought very little
of 1t, and wasjust going to throw it away
| when an officer who stood by offered him
two or three rupees for it. He also put
but small store by his purchase of the
lustreless stone; and it was only from its
position as the eye of an idol that he
judged it might possibly be of greater
| value than seemed likely from-its out
ward appearance.
Some time afterward he showed it to u
native ieweler, who offered to buy it
| from him at a considerable increase on
| the price he had given for it; but he was
going to England, and thought it wiser
to take the stsne with him, and have it
properly cut by first class lapidary This
| was done, and q very fine stone resulted
which the iewelcr, at the most moderate
calculation, valued at five hundred pounds
The officer had it set in ring and wore
1 FL
day, CHANGING to be in London, he went
into shop to buy pair of gloves, and
looking at the ring on his little finger, he
observed that the setting was empty. the
diamond gone. He examined his glove,
his pockets, the floor Of the shop;
no trace of the stone was to be seen, and
so he gave it up as lost. However, he
mentioned the matter at his club; and
told the club master to post up a notice
Offering 10 pounds reward to any one
who should find the diamond. A day or
two afterward the stone was brought to
him. 1t had been found by one of the
housemaids in darkish passage that led
gladly paid and the diamond taken to the
Jewellers, to be once more firmly replaced
in the ring.
Again some years passed. The officer
had been back to India, and was on a
furlough in this country, and gone to
Scotland to shoot with friends who had
taken moor in the Highlands. One
hot August day he had been out for
several hours tramping over miles and
miles of close heather, grouse-shoodng;
He was still walking, when covey of
birds rose little way off. He raised his
gun to take aim, when his eye CHANGED
to fall on his ring, and he saw that the
setting was once more empty. Stopping
to look at it, the birds got away; and he
laid down fha tho haathar hpQiHq
him, and carefully examined the place
!, whore he stood with very feeble hope
3 of finding the glittering stone. Nothing
was to be seen of it; and when he recol-
: lected the many miles he had traversed
/ that days the nature ofthe ground he had
been on, he abandoned all idea of ever
again recovering his diamond He
stopped for his gun, and the thought
flashed into his mind: "I'll turn out the
charge-the thing is Just possible" He
did so; drew the wad, and then shook
out the contents of the barrel, shot, pow
der, and-the diamond! 1t had slipped
, uhnoticed into the muZzle when he was
loading, and but for the lucky chance
that had caused him to remark its absence
from the ring, it would have been fred
away the next moment. Possibly it
might have hit bird, gone back in the
J game bag, and caused as much amaze
ment to the cook or to the individual who
| DtbWccH iliS tcctil, siS u1u titt uld-
mond in the eastern tale to the fisherman
and his family who discovered it in the
entrails of the fish. Another visit to the
'eweler, and the ring resumed its place
on the finger of its owner, and three or
four years passed away. The officer had
again returned to India, and was with
his regiment, which was encamped near
, a large station, portions of some other
= regiments being close to them. He was
acting as adjutant to the general in COM
, mand, and was writing at q small table
; placed close to the door of his tent. As
! his hand passed rapidly over the paper,
the troublesome diamond once more drop,
ped from its setting, and fell on the table
beside him. Being in hurry, he merely
/, uttered an angry exclamation, pushed
. the stone close to the inkstand, and went
, ON with his writing Presently a mes
senger came to say that the general wish
ed to see him Immediately. He forgot
all about the stone, threw on his uniform
, buckled on his sword, and started at once
!, !, for the quarters of the commanding Off
= Ger. He was detained some little time;
I and when he returned to his own tent, he
! looked directly for the diamond, which
= he had meanwhile recollected, but 1t was
. gonei A thief had been there during his
absence, had seen and appropriated the
, stone; and he never saw or heard of il
= again, though he offered liberal reward
: for its restoration.
# ARKEsTED FOR CHEERING FOR
|