The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-08

conda the prime minister of the latter
forsook his master contributed to his
overthrow, and by the bride of the Kohl
moor obtained from the conquering Mogul
the vacant throne. Another caprice of
fortune landed the Orloff also in the
hands of the conqueror. Thus the gems
passed from Golconda TO Delhi. Some
times worn on the persons of the Moguls,
sometimes shining side by side on the IA
nous peacock throne, they were safely
preserved at Delhi until the empire was
overthrow by the Persian Nadir Shah.
With the assassination of Nadir Shah, in
17i9, their stories divide. The Orloff then
known as the Derya-i-nOOr, or Sea of
Light, passed to a temple in Pondicherry,
where it was stolen by a French deserter,
who had pretended conversion so success
fully that he was made a priest of the
temple, and there bided his time until OPP
portunity favored him. He disposed of his
booty to a Greek merchant somewhere on
the shores of the Mediterranean, and in
the year l772 1t passed into the hands of
Prince Orloff, who presented 1t to Cath
crime II. Prince Orloff paid for 1t nearly
$4,000 in cash, besides patent of no
bility and an annuity of S20,O 900 for life.
The Orloff is now set in the top of the
Russian crown. It's form, in technical
language, Is a high crowned rose. II
weighs 1864 carats and is about half Of
the size of a pigeon egg. Unfortunately,
it is not Of first water, being slightly ting
ed with yellow, like the orange diamond.
And what of the Koh-i-nOOr-what of
the Mountain of Light? That, too, has
had it's adventures since 1t parted com.
pany with it's twin. It was carried off by
Ahmed Shah, and under the stress of pro-
longed persecution was surrendered by his
unhappy descendant, Shah Soojah, to the
greed OF Runjeet Singh. When that Sikh
chieftan was on his deathbed he was
Loo al %
Juggernaut, and so break the spell of mis-
fortune that was supposed to accompany
it. But he refused TO do this. The Noun
tain of Light continued to shiIM in the
treasury of Lahore until 1S49, when the
sixth dynasty fell before the arms of Eng
land, and it's last representative, Duieep
Singh, lost his throne and his famous dia-
mond. He was then a mere boy, but he
never forgot that he had once been the
owner of the Koh-i-noor Brought over to
England to be educated at public expense
Il should like" he said one day, ito place
the jewel in the queens hand, now that
am a man. 1 was only a child when I sur
rendered it to her by the treaty, but now
l am old enough to understand" His
wish was conveyed to the queen, and on
the very next day he was summoned to
the palace. The jewel was placed in his
hand, and for some time he toyed with it.
1t was quite different object from that
which had caused so much JOY and sorrow
in the oriental home of his royal fathers
The lapidiary's art had revealed all its
hidden fire and dazzling beauty, but had
shorn the gem of much Of its historical
and scientific interest. Then the descend
ant of the eastern kings handed back the
rich prize of many conquests, and formally
remarked that it gave him great pleasure
TO place the jewel in the hand of his SOW
ereign. Some of Duleep's old friends in
India would have said it was a good rid
dance When the Indian custodian of the
gem handed the splendid bauble over to
the English, in the palace of the little
maharajah, he heaved a long sigh of re-
lief and said the Koh-i-noor had been the
cause Of so many deaths in his family that
he had never expected to escape himself.
When he had occasion to exhibit the jewel
1t was always attached TO his waist by a
stout cord OF twisted ribbon. DR.. Login,
the first British custodian of the gem, fol-
lowed the old native keepers example.
until. much to his relief. the treasure was
transferred to England.