The daily gazette., 1882-04-18
MILLIONS In GEMS.
SEEN In THE sULTAN's TREA-
HURY.
TIE PRICELESS GEMS AND UNTOLD
GOLD OF THE BANKRUPT RUL-
ER OF A RUINED PEOPLE
THE FUNDS OF ISLAM.

@~@~~~e-s
The imperial treasury Of Constantine,
pie 10 situated within the inner cou
tfthe Soraglio, In one Cf the heavy some
buildings Of the ancient palace. Oue
going thiiher from the city must pas
through three massive walls ere he en-
ters the court where stands the treasure
hou Q, q building If dull gray stone
roofed with lead, and having q single
door Of massive iron. A low, arched
doorway leads TO The interior, two con.
meeting chambers, each about eighteen
feet square. heavily vaulted and lighte
by small windows with strong iron graf.
inge. Round each loom tut q gallery,
and the wall space TO tbs ceiling is oc.
cupied by glass case s, while in the cen
tire CT each appaItmeAt Is @ large glass
show cases. There is guard at the
outer door, and at intervals Of four or
i've feet all arCund the walls stands
sentiLels, mute and 'motionless all clad
in the everlasting black broadcloth and
rcd fez, introduced by the last of the
great Sultans, MahmCud the Reformer
Que gallery is occupied with figures OF
Wv AaAeehc1 CN~h An bhN IOUCD h0u ldW-
els aud srmors OF The monarch as be
lived. The dresses ave mostly Of silk
brocade and cloth OF gold, aud many ci
the figures are weighed down with Jew.
els and magnificent arms.
Prominent among them is Moham.
med H., the conqueror OF Coz stantlno-
pie, who left the mark If his bloody
hand high up on the pillar tf what Il
now the mosque Of ST. Sophia; the hill
Of his dagger Is a single emerald, TIVE
inches long aud halfas large. Ali the
figures save two wear the urban be-
decked with diamonds, the exceptions
being little OsmRn H., butchered in his
boyhood, and MRhmoud the Reformer,
who Sc efiCy Is the last in the list. He
appears In European broadclotb, with
the red fez; the head covering, however,
being ornameDted with plume of bird
Of paradise feathers, caught up by a
great spray Of diamonds. Two D. rones
are in The cutter room. One-that Il
Nadir Shah, Of Persia, is tf fine, dark
wood, delIcately inlaid with pearl and
ivory, and having a canopy of the same
material, from which 10 suspended a
great golden ball, decorated with pree-
itus stones. The other is about as
splendid and uncomfortable 4 seat as
could be devised. II ls platform about
two and onerhalf feet square, with a
cushion Of cloth If gold, embroidered
with rubits, diamonds and. pearls.
Around three sides of the cushion Is q
low rail supported by miniature columns
aud standing some eight inches high; 1t
10 Of gold studded with clusters OF
rubies, and the Whole throne is covered
with plae eI of gold. In one cabinet is
shown the state cradle of many sultans,
which stands low on its rockers like
tht SO still In use In the Eass. The two
ends rice fgot above the mattress and
are connected at the top by q bar run
Ming lengthwise IS a support for q cur
tain. The whole is tf solid gold, crust
ed OH the outside with pearls, diamonds
rabies and tuTquoises.
1t would not be possible to describe in
detail the contents Of these rooms. There
are antique arms and armoT, heavy with
gold and jewell; there innumerable
horss-trappings aud saddles, covered
with plates Cf gold and studded with
emeralds, ruIies, topazes, diamonds and
pearls; there are saddle. cloths embroi'
dered with precious stones. Several sofa
covers hang In the cabinets as back.
ground to the smaller Mticles-they are
worth $3.50 900 apiece and are Of heavy
cloth Of gold embroidered with saed
pearls. There are blrd-cages Of gold,
. me with clocks, face downward, at The
bottom;sacks { { velvet embroidered with
gold and pearls and diamonds; "sam.
plerA" If red velvet on which texts from
the Koran are embroidered In diamonds;
amber Mouthpieces for pipes studded
with diamonds and rubies; vases of crys-
tai, agate and onyx, many enriched with
jewels; inkstands and snuf-bexes in
Vulnerable, coffee sets, lea sets, knives,
forks and spoons Of solid gold, with
Jewels on their handles, an immense
array Of clocks; fans beyond countipgi
umbrellas Of white silk, exquisitely en-
broidered with gold and having for han
dies matcLless spays of coral yard
long, tea sets of tortoise shell as thin as
paper. Mr.. Dwight describes one toy
"a figure of sultan eated on his throDe
uBder golden canopy ribbed with al
teInate Ipbies aud emeralds, the whole
structure being perhaps six inchti
high.
The body of The figure is q single
huge pearl; the lower exiremities are
curved from blue turquoise and tht
turban Is solid mass of diamonds >
"After every conceivable use has beer
made of tho jewels, the surplus un
mounted stones are gathered by hand
fpls into crystal bowls, in one of which
are three uncut emeralds, the lsrgesl
the size of mans fist, and tho small
est as big as a hens egg. During
the late war the government pledged
some Of its Jewels to the banks for ;
loan of $50, 900, 600. The bankers re-
moved to their own vaults precious
stones OF value sufficient to secure tn!
Joan fully, yet the contents of tht
three small boxes left NJ appreciablt
gap in the great accumulation. Sucf
is the treasure house of the bankrupt
ruler of ruined nation, The cam
mander Of the faithful, it may bt
added, has at his disposition, undel
certain circumstances, still more re-
markable accumulation of wealth
This is the "treasure of Islam," th'
Offering of gold and silver deposited