Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-17

estimating. There were diamonds-some Of
them exceedingly large and fne-hundred
and ten in all, and not one Of them small;
eighteen rubies of remarkable brlillancy
three hundred and ten emeralds, all very
beautiful and twenty-one sapphires, with
an opal These stones had all been broken
from their settings and thrown loose In the
chest.
out from the other gold, appeared to have
been beaten up with hammers, as II to
prevent identification. Besides all this there
was vast quantity OF solid gold ornaments
nearly two hundred massive finger and
ear rings-rich chains-thirty OF these, II l
Observation-Disclosures very large and
heavy crucihxes; five gold censors OF great
value; prodigious gold punch bowl. orna-
mented with richly chased vine leaves and
bacchanalian figures; with two sword ham
dies exquisitely embossed, and many other
smaller articles which l cannot recollect.
The weight of these valuables exceeded
three hundred and fifty pounds avoirdupois;
and in this estimate 1 have not included one
hundred and ninety-seven superb gold
watches, three Of the number being worth
each $500, II one. Many Of them were very
old, and as timekeepers valueless, the
works having suffered more or less from
CORRESPONDENT all were richly jeweled and
in cases of great worth. We estimated the
entire contents of the chest, that night, at
a million and half Of dollars; and, upon
the subsequent disposal of the trinkets and
jewels "a few being retained for our own
use). 1t was found that we had greatly I'M
dervalued the treasure.
When, at length, we had concluded our
examination, and the intense excitement OF
the time had, in a measure, subsidized, Lee
grand, who saw that 1 was dying with i'm
patience for a solution Of this most extra
ordinary riddle, entered into full detail Of
all the circumstances connected with it.
You remember" said he, "the night when
handed you the rough sketch had made
of the scarabaeus. You recollect also that
l became quite vexed at you for insisting
| that my drawing resembled a deaths head.
When you first made this assertion
thought you were.Jesting; but afterward I
called to mind the peculiar spots on the
back of the insect, and admitted to myself
that your remark had some little founda-
ton In fact Still. the sheer at my graphic
powers irrttated me-for / am considered a
| good artist-and. therefore, when you hand
! ed me the scrap of parchment, I was about
to crumple 1t up and throw 1t angrily into
| the fire."
THE scrap Of paper, you mean" said I.
NO; 1t had much Of the appearance OF
paper, and at first supposed 1t to be such
but when / came to draw upon 1t I dis
| covered 1t at once to be piece Of very thin
| parchment. 1t was quite dirty, you remem-
! Der. Well, as 1 was in the very act OF
crumpling 1t up my glance fell upon the
sketch at which you had been looking and
you may imagine my establishment when
perceived, in fact, the figure of a deaths
head Just where, 1t seemed to me, / mad
| made the drawing OF the beetle. For a
moment / WAS too much amazed to thinE
with accuracy. l knew that my design
was very different In detail from this-al.
though there was certain similarity IL
general outline. Presently took candle