The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-09-02

of the treasury Tor your inspection
YOU should not lose the opportunity.
1t is a privilege not easily obtained.
Through the August Gate" within
the walls of the old seraglio. you can
penetrate; over the lawns and
around the trees of the janizaries
YOU can wander; but at the Gate
ofHealth" q Turkish guard demands
your firman-a talisman without
which all entreaties are useless. II,
after waiting, this irman is brought
in by an aide-de-camp ofthe Sultan,
what was civility becomes Difference.
The guards who moment ago
waved you aside that black eu-
much might pass and be saluted, now
present arms to you, and another
eunuch. a tall white fellow comes,
forth to receive his highness COM
mand.
To the treasury is but step, and
whence all those attendants sudden
ly spring is surprising. You are
not. as you imagined, alone with the
aide-de-camp and the white eunuch,
for here are twenty or more guardl-
ans of the treasury ranged on either
side of the massive doors. The GER
emony Of entering is in itself i'm
posing. The locks are elaborate and
the mechanism intricate. The chief
ofthe guards unlocks one bolt,which
he hands to man on his right. A
paddock he gives TO an assistant on
the left, then distributes one piece
after another of the ponderous com
bination.
The door is thrown open, and the
treasury is before you. At the en-
trance stands the famous throne,
which in 15l4 was captured from the
shah of Persia. And it is here that
you utter your first exclamatlons OF
wonder and acknowledgements
of feeling which increase in intensity
as your eyes rest on the dazzling
display, until words and thoughts
fail to convey even to yourself any
estimate OF the wealth about you.
This throne is perhaps three feet
high and about the same across, and
is one mass of diamonds, emeralds,
rubies and turquoises. Over it Is
suspended a golden egg of more
than foot in diameter, and this
egg sparkles and glitters with the
precious stones with which it is
studded. In the cases on every
hand are rare treasures. Diamonds
are everywhere-quarts of diamonds ;
there are turquolses around and be-
tween the diamonds-pecks of tur-
quoises; and this is no exaggeration.
There are emeralds of such wonder
ful size and value as to be beyond
estimate. In two cases there are
two emeralds, one the size of "a man s
clenched hand, the other fiat and as
large as a hand extended. There
are sword hits of solid emeralds.
The famous jewel of Bangkok must
be overshadowed in comparison.
To realize the pearls, imagine a
table cover of beautiful pattern and
exquisite embroidery and then fancy
that there had been he'll of pearls
ten minutes and that they have all
clung to this cover. That would be
one piece of tapestry, and there are
scores Of them hanging in this room
and the pearls are as large as peas.
That was bead work in the reign OF
some Ottoman ruler.
There are gems in bulk; rare old
china vases filled to the brim with
huge emeralds; Japanese tureens
overhowing with magnificent pearls;
decorated plates heaped up with
coral beads like ripe cherries gold
en- salvers blazing with the light OF
hundreds of immense diamonds
and scattered about with a lavish
hand lie the pale and beautiful tur-
quoises like blooming flowers, an
unpretending bed for all this won
droGs beauty.
There is cradle in which ten sui
tans have rocked and whose every
motion sent forth rays as brilliant
as the glory OF their career their
little school bags hang here and
still simmer in their crust of gems.
Diamonds, diamonds-everywhere
is the glitter of the diamonds. Sure
ly they must have been guardians
of the treasury who first dreamed OF
the Arabian Nights" Presents
from foreign magnates rival each
other in value and splendor. Here
is another ieweled throne, and over
it hang ruby and an emerald OF
fabulous size. An Indian rajah' s
gift, a marvel of beauty, is in height
four inches only, but in design most
exquisite.
A rajah is seated on a throne, and
over the throne isa canopy; in front
is slave. The body Of the rajah is
a single pearl the waist and trunk
of the slave of another pearl of curl
Gus shape, the legs and arms are
solid masses of diamonds. The eff
feet is beyond description. You
feel such surroundings you cease to
talk-what indeed can you say
Turn as you will, the diamonds flash
at you, the rubies fire at you, the
pearls soothe you, and the whole in
toxicates you. You see the aide-de-
camp smiling, but proud of his sui
tan's treasures, the accumulated
treasure of over thirty rrlers of the
great Ottoman empire. With an
odd mixture of half.formed thoughts
you pass into another room. A gol-
den column confronts YOU, a model
of the Trajan monument, over six
feet in height and eight inches in
diameter it is imposing but does
not surprise you. You are prepsr-
ed to see walls and floors of solid
gold-you almost expect it. Owe.
your head hang gold bird cages with
clocks at their base. AS is proper
and becoming, the hours are indi-
Gated by diamond figures.
You mount to the gallery and
look at the original costumes of a
score of dead rulers. The robes are
magnifcently embroidered, the tur-
oans are immense, diamonds are
tangled in the plumes, and the sword
hilts are single gems. The older the
date the richer the dress, but all
with turbans and robes. until the