Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-29
rHE ruKK,s JEWEL HOUSE.

W THE HI 0A'S y EW LII hOOSE'
o,a ArInor. a Throne OF Gold and Gems
of Great vaIue-The Old SeraglIO aud
M It's Mystery--COstumes of Many sultans
and Books that Once set Europe AgOg.
Parts or n Letter from j. c. Robinson 10 the
Editor oftse London Times.
Dr. Schliemann THINKS that he I'M
earthed old King Priam's treasury. 1t
was but meagre accumulation; per-
haps it had been already heavily drawn
upon for the current expenses Of the Tro-
81 ian war. Another famous treasury in the
same nelghborhood, still above ground,
piilaged and repenished again and again
a. it must have been, is yet hoard of
very different note and magnitude. With
the mystery of the unknown and I'M
described, and the Tumor OF wondrous ac-
Cumuiation attaching to it, where in all
81 the world could there be O greater attrac-
"a ton for the art lover and the archROlOgist
than the Sultan's treaure house at Con-
stantinople? To explore this mysterious
# repository had for years been the writer's
cherished dream, and many and fervid
we're the golden visions conjured up in
anticipation. The reality may now be
81 laid before the readers of the Times.
The very mention of Constantinople'
antique Byzantium, calls up impressions
Of an overladen past trsnscending per-
haps in vastness and completely all other
historic record. 1t was difficult, if not
impossible, indeed, TO conceive that in
this centre aud battlefield Of the eastern
and western worlds and of old religions
the visible monuments OF past epOchs
could be other than abundant and en-
thralling, or that historic trophies innu-
merable could there have failed. to find
abiding place and reverence. The truth,
however. must be said. COnstantinOple,
intensely interesting and impressive
II withal, is but as an empty shadow OF the
pasta tomb. field OF burned-out ashes.
n AN earthquake wave, indeed, might al
most have passed over it, so completely
have the myriad vestiges Of olden things
q been swept away and scattered. Not,
however, such fatality Sufficient for this
81 wreckage have been the twin forces Of
fanaticism and ignorance.
The Sultan's treasury is not accessible
10 mankind in general; on the contrary,
permission to explore its recesses is a
matter of high favor, recurring special
diplomatic intercession and the issue of an
trade by the sovereign himself-a mandate
rs solemn and potential in form as If
peace and war, or life and death hung
upon it. x | fear the sDlendidly
attired Colonel was not a little scandal
lied at my insisting on shuntlng the
calQu6 1dFOT Ol Il udchu6y cafIldA6s III
that homely fashion, nevertheless, we
hnally ratified away on drive of three Or
four miles over the disl0cated stones,
mud puddles, dOg-intested and crowd in
numbered streets of Galata, Pera, and
Stamboul. There is nothing specially i'm
pressive in the outward aspect of the old
SeragliO. The Old Byzantine walls of cir
camVailatiOn, studded with square flank
ing towers, are almost the only very an
cient features of the place. The
buildings within, large section ofwh ich
were swept away by fire a few years
ago, are a vast confusing aggregate of
structures Of all dates and periods, com
prising huge, fOrmless blocks of buildings
connected together by arcades and corri.
doris, detached kiosks, ETC., seemingly
pitched here and there and everywhere
without plan or method. Altogether the
place has a beWildering and incOmpre-
hensible look, and one can easily imagine
the big windoWless blocks of buildings,
honeycombed with dark, shriek-stif1ing
cells and old Blue Beard chambers full of
forgotten horrors. Avenues of huge cy-
presses and vast hollow trunked plane
trees, evidently Of great antiquity, Lead
up to or ill the centres of the courts and
esplanades, while towering high above
them are seen the huge dome and lofty
minarets of Santa Sophia, AUDITING close
upon the walls of the world-lamed inclOs-
ure.
The building in which the treasury is
housed has wide loggia or corridor in
'front.', and the back wall on either side Of
the central door is glazed in and forms
case in which is arranged vast cOllec-
ton of ancient arms and armor. Untor-
tunately, the specimens are only imper-
fectly seen, for the glass is crUsted with
dirt in the manner Ofold wine bottles,
and it has probably never been cleaned
since 1t was put In place. The arms are
nearly all OF Oriental origin, and a con-
siderable portion Of them of historic note.
Several suits of mixed chain and
plate-mail, richly damascened with
gold and silver, are the authentic
panoplies Of sixteenth and seven
teenth century Sultans. Sabres,
ci1neteFs, ,daggers, battle axes, shields,
hows, squlVers, sheayes OF arrows, match
locks pistols. and ancient firearms OF
every pattern, and from every part OF the
Eastern world, are represented In be-
wildering variety.
When the outer wooden door was Open
cd II massive barrier of wrought iron was
disclosed crossed by several long bars or
bolts, on which we're hung heavy pad
locks. One by one these were opened and
removed, and at last the pOnderous gate
swung upon its creaking hinges, and the
well-guarded precincts were entered, on
my part with expectation strung up 10
the highest pitch and with delightful feel
ings Of -child-world awe, as If 1t were a
plunge into an enchanted open sesame
cave from which there might perchance
be no exit. Very cave-like and mysteri-
GUS indeed is the first aspect OF the three
great, square, lofty rooms, en- suite with
each other, occupied by the collection.
The rooms are dimly lit by grated win
dows high up in the walls, and gallery
With low ballustrade surrounds them at
mid-height. Tue deep old-iashioned
glazed cases containing the bulk OF the
objects, especially those in the lower
story, are thus quite in the shade.
On the whole, the first room is the rich
est in notable objects. The most c0nsplc
uous, though by no means the most in-
teresung, thing is great throne or diVan
OF beaten gold, occupying the entire CEN
ire OF the room, set with pearls, rnOies,
and emeralds, thousands on thousands IN
number, covering the entire surface 10 a
geOmetrical mosaic pattern. This speci-
men OF barbaric magnihcence was sp0ll
ofwar taken from one Of the Shahs OF Per-
STA. Infinitely more interesting and
beautiful, however, is another canopied
throne or divan, placed In the upper story
OF the same room. This Is genuine and