The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-09
TIE RAJAlI'S DIAMOND.


kept put measure ut Ing gtius in their
tent. These he would displnS from time
to tune, smoothing out the brilliant heap
upon his table. Ruciully lac displayed
them remembering what fine price, he
had refused for the very worst in days OF
pride, before the panic. Al prices now
offered Bate declined, with unnecessary
emphasis to sell, aud he was fond OF CON
sulting me, IA man who had travelled
East and West, rs TO places where would
be found a good opening for ti1fles OF
the sort. about India, now. for
that chap" hc would say, holding
up great "macle" stone. like
crystal ukstand. "Or China for tho
yellow bOy1 OR Me ico, B0rheo, rimbuc-
too1" adv ised him to sell Tor what prices
he could obtain. or. if not, TO rely only Oh
the Indian market The first counsel no
would not hear Of; the second he put In
practice when he had made his fortune,
and had enjoyed winters hunting In the
ShircS. Persons who connect themselves
with diamonds early learn to hold their
tongues, and have no Information rs to
Bates success ~ di.posing OF his treas
ures TO MahnraJ JAN and Rance, but I fancy
II to have been satisfactory. 1lo did not
succeed. however. IN clearing out his
stock. and wandered further East, toward
China. We had often talked OF Borneo
and on reaching singapore II occurred TO
him TO run over To kuching. There isuow
a hotel in tina; secluded capital. ANA the
residents showed their usual hospitality.
At the end Of three days an incident hap
pened to hin. winch has happened to all
other strangers ON that cou't, who pre-
sCnted the Appearance OF wealth.
one day, IL he lCit the Treasury. whore
Inc mad been calling, two MalaNs rose nom
beside the litile bridge which Spans the
ditch-n lovely ditch. rs | remember IT.
Oordercd with pink lotus. oVcIhuug hy
scarlet garlnuds OF the shpe flower ana
studdcd With NciNrtN ro>cttcs OK pi-tid.
They went up to INN at once and sapuul-
ed lie stood to talk, having naught else
- do, IN the pathway leading 10 the Court
House. One Malay was evidently OF some
rank. lie wore shiit. saIuug, ana tTou-
scis OF sIlk, rather truNcd. hS tut ban was
Of Persian cloth, ANA the Kris. thrust la las
girdlc had Coid ornaments about the hit.
The other seemed 10 be- Il servant aud IN
tcrpretcr This latter spoke, while his
cumrafe raised hls hand, gracefully from
time to tmr IA H,quio~ceuce ana deprtvA-
non. The first words made BItc laugh,
for the interpreter WISHED 10 know If lie
would buy - diamond: such form OF
salutaiion the digger had been hcurlug
every hour Tor Twelve months OF his hic
on the other side OF the world. "Id
rather sell You one. said he, but lets
look Ut IT.
The diamond, however, was not 10 be
seen except CA terms for winch Bitc'- tN-
priicuCc gave NO parallel ccrtaIH sum,
which proved TO be no les than D.tOJ,
must hc lodged beforehand with tne man
ngvT of the BDueO COMPANY at kurhing.
and It must be lodged ia cash. 80 uaper
would do. Ana what then asked Bate,
laughing. Then, Il appeared, the gcm
might be brought for Inspection. 1t Law
long wny of, ana There were many dan
gcrs 10 encounter. The romance OF the
thing began to interest NV friend. lie
asked a. number OF questions. to ~ Inch the
answers came straight enough. Notasiv-
pvuco uccd he DISTURBED, until the stone
should actually he ia his own hands. The
Size OF IL, us near ~ Bate could judge
would come closr ou "a thousand Carits.
Whine, II protested 10 lee, as tue star OF
south Altlca, cur, or rather polished, IN
the native style. 1t belonged To Iajih,
and had lain in hi> fanny Tor generations.
tp 10 this point nothing had happen u.
other than l or any BoInean Traveller
could have predicted. Those Naldys have
made thr same proposal TO tNciN visitor
Tor twcuty ears. The new feature OF tine
story was Bates conduct liz didu' laugh
or turn AWAY :. oluiully, but uvi:Hd them
10 the hotei next day, resolving i.au-
while to take advice.
The advice he got was the same civou
to others IN like case. All In SArdwuk.
or indeed out of n, believe IN the diu-
mond. You Will iud "a description If u.
drawn on tho mere credit OF these ttnl,-
sniio~, In the flrst took on prrci 'u- STORIES
coming uudcl youT hand. For 2JD years.
ever since the Dutch first landed I'm B0lueo.
ID has been talked OF. aud sought uttcr. lut
never seen 10y wnite mau. For uplc,, the
irlvcilcf can lodge I1,lnJ iu cash with the
Bornco company. no chance uas he of bee
holding ihc treasure. Bate had NOT 100
n dollars NJ Wpiucuts notice. lie a.
planned To the halats. on their visit, that
Ia kt.lI
such sum with thtiu. Bat. SAID
he, III sou won't lrIug the diamond here,
will ylu take me 10 toe ulauonUt' ms
proposal startled thtm. They looked
AZ each other, conferred eagerly, and
made AN appointment for neal day.
Bate took counsel again On TINS
original idea. Ills acquaintance were
unanimous that no danger Of IN
ordinary sort could be feared in the
adventure-no murder. nor robbery. nor
wild beasts, Tor the belief had always pre-
vailed that this rajah dwell over the sam
Das frontier. IN Jutch territory, whcrculso
security Is profound But tins might be
e1or, aud If hs guides should lead him
into the sultan OF Bruui's dominion,
heaven help the traveller, But Bate was
not daunted. The Malays agreed to lake
hun, and he set ont with delight.
SO much o, the following tale can guar
anlee as II had been present at the inCi-
dents Just a. you might guarantee that II
"A man lvcd three DAYS IN Ronc somebody
in the street would offer INN u com Of He
logobalus tor sale.
with the two gmdrs aud a kuChlng boy,
lent 10 him, Bate sci of up the SalAwak
river. The stream appears to have been
high, for they could follow its course TWO
days. Water then failed, and Tie canoe
WAS left alta Dyak house. By the sugges-
ton OF friends Iu the capiti.l-Where every
one ielt deeply Interested about ms ady,n-
tuIe-au ample store OF tnncd meats had
been prepared, aud there was other lug
gage, arms, ana 20 On. Moro servants than
the boy - All mad been strongly objected
TO by the MuluSs nor dld tnry look on oven
Inn with approval. Bate wondered how
his stores were TO bee earned, but ia an
hours time four sturdy Little Dyaks came
TO be loaded up. The Englishman,
Clnmped by two days Sitting IN
canoe, which had also been his bed at
night, would gladly have rested IN the hlg
Dynk houses. lie describes them ns much
more comfortable, and mucn better fur
ulehcd, than l remember them. Hut his
resolution at starting hHd becu to pat him
sci wholly NJ ms guides advice, and the
Diamond Fields no bad school tor toach-
lnS man to bear discomfort So they set
on, though the sun was already low, upon
"hatny pa,h, such rs hc found all