The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-07-18
Vast Treasure Defies the Search Of
Man.
VARIOUS EXPEDITIONS In SEARCH
OF THEM.
Hidden Store of Gold and Precious Stones
in India That Has E1uded Capture for
Forty Years-Expeditions End in
Death.
(yrom the London Mail. }

(Trom the London Mail)
Every now and then we hear of expe-
ditions starting in search of treasures lost
OF hidden in various parts of the world,
India being the most favored, if some
what vague, destination of such parties.
Most people will remember an endeavor
being made not long ago, under the d.
rection of the British government, to
wrest from the waters of the Ganges
vast treasure that has been missing since
the time of Indian mutiny. For this
search there was more Justification than
many we hear of, but after four months
of ceaseleess exertions it had to be given
up in despair. That the treasure is hid
den somewhere in India is undoubted;
portions of it have been traced at one
time or another, but there is still enough
left to make its flnder--should it ever
be found-a millionaire many time over.
Six or seven yearssprevious to outbreak
of the Indian mutiny the rajah of the
province of Gwalior was dethroned for
treason 10 the English. He had been a
ruler over one Of the largest provinces of
India, and was known to be one of the
wealthiest in the empire. He had an ar
my of z, 900 men, herd of 200 elephants,
and lived in a style no European mon.
arch could approach. While protesting
to be friendly, be was continually plotting
against British rule, and when this
was discovered steps were taken to our
<ss1
to body guard of 100 men, his right to
issue edicts and make local laws was
abrogated; English civil officers were sta
toned here and there to collect the taxes,
until at length the rajah held only his
empty title. He bowed to the terms i'm
foes the government had TO deal with,
and was first and foremost in bringing
about the mutiny. The date of the out
break was known by the deposed raiah
weeks in advance it was even said that
he fixed the date himself. At any
troops were almost the first in the field.
Although his army had been disbanued
for three or four years, he had secretly
purchased and stored away large quanti-
ties of equipment, and for two months
previous to the outbreak, it was after
ward learned. he was secretly enlisting
and arming his subjects.
FIFTEEN MILLION DOLLARS IN
VALUE.
Two weeks before the uprising the ra-
jah made preparations to secure the SAFE
ty of his vast treasure. In his palace,
thirty miles from Gwalior, he had Sc
oret cham Der. in which the wealth of his
family had been stored for three genera
tions. No European had ever set foot in
the palace, but it was currentlye reported
that the value of the gems and jewels,
many Of which had been handed down
from his eat-grandfather, aggregated
s15. 000,0 900. One day the rajah left his
palace with an escort Of ten of his old
est and most trusted soldiers, and each
soldier had charge of q pack-horse, carry
Ing share Of the treasure. His band
Travelled to the northwest for two days,
and then halted amid the ruins of an an
cient city between the town of Jsypore
and the river Ganges. This, of course,
Was only learned years after. AT the end
of i've days the rajah returned to his pal
ace, accompanied only by servant who
had acted as cook. But almost imms
diately this servant was looked in q dun.
geon on some pretext. and WAS never
sean again. No one dared to ask what
hp6 Of hn
those who suspected wisely kept their
thoughts to themselves, well knowing
what would follow word of gossip.
Two months after the rajah had take n
the field against the English at the head
of a thousand men he was killed in bat
tursd. When the treasure room was en-
tered great find was expected, but it
was empty. From soms of the servants
1t was learned how and when the wealth
had been removed. but the government
was too busy quelling the mutiny to
search fer 1t just then.
When peace came party in charge of
an official was started out to search for
tho rajah's treasure. By this time not
soldier or servant who knew anything
of the matter could be found. All that
could be discovered was that the party
had gone toward the northwest. After
several days search the treasure hunters
came upon the ruins, aad the spot COM
mending itself as likely hiding place
they began work. Their operations had
to be spread over fully square half mile
of standing and fallen walls, with trees
and bushes and vines growing in tho
greatest profusion, containing quite a
thousand safe spots in which to hide
treasure. The party, which NUM- ered
four Englishmen and sixty natives. went
to work. however, and it was five months
before they gave up the hunt, and the
leaders reported to the government that
1t would take thousand men fully two
years to clear way the debris.
HOW THE TREASURE WAS HID
DEN
Not long after native was arrested a
Debit CHARGED with the murder of two