Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-06-05

| loose and unset jewels seals and other
articles Of adornment are kept in big
salad bowls that viii hold couple OF
gallons. There are five bowls fun
of diamonds. rubies. emeralds. tur-
quoise and other unset precious stones
perhaps half bushel altogether. and
large tray about 12 by 10 inches
in size covered with beautiful un-
| mounted pearls. One of the EN-.
eralds weighs two Kilograms and an
ther is almost of the same size Thev
are said to be the largest emeralds in
the world
The most gorgeous and over.
powering spectacle in the collection
Is throne said to be of solid gold
set mosaic-like with uncut rubies. en-
eralds and perals, which formerly be
long to the Shah of Persia, and was
captured and brought to Constinople
as the spoil of war by Sultan Selim l.
in 1902 There are scepters. armor
sabers, scimiters pistols. saddles and
other equestrian equipments. walking
sticks, sandals and other articles com
pletely imbedded with Jewels. A toll
ct table of ordinary size is veneered
with diamonds. while the wash bowl.
pitcher and other toilet articles are
set tmckly with the most beautiful
turquoise. There are cups of ONYX.
crystal and jade stirrups brides and
other horse furniture of gold and in
the corner of little vase is two
quart bowl filed with diamond but
tons, which some time or another fast
ened the garments of some extrava.
giant sultan.
Arranged around the wall are eff
gies of a dozen or more of the great
sultans In their richest robes of state
and wearing their favorite jewels. If
those effigies could be stripped of
their ornaments they alone would
make display of the jewelers. art
that would be worth exhibition. There
is no catalogue, and | was prohibited
from taking notes Newspaper men
are never admitted lest they should
publish descriptions of the riches of
the treasury and give the sultan hys-
terlcs.
The ceremony of opening the doors
was quite interesting. There are two
sets of keys for everything. and they
are held by two custodians who have
nothing to do with with each other
and are spposed to be enemies. Each
has guard of twenty-four men. who
live apart and are forbidden to as
sociate with each other or hold any
more than the strictest official com
munication Representatives of each
of these squads are on duty at all
times and are expected to act as
spies on each other. They are pc
culiar looking people and wear a
queer livery, a high buttoned coat of
black broadcloth like an Espiscopal
| clergyman with red fez.
| Our card of invitation fixed our re-
ception at 1870 a. m. and we arrived
| a little before that hour to find that
| the custodians had anticipated us and
! had drawn up their guard in two lines
facing each other. One of the chiefs
then went forward and unlocked his
share of the fastenings. Then the
other came forward and used his keys.
Each was accompanied by at least
twelve men, and under the regulations
could not turn bolt until they were
all present If anyone had been alb
sent we would have been compelled
to wait for him or come another day
And every one of these guards expect
ed liberal fee The cost of looking
at the sultan's treasures amounted to
s35.
After the inspection we were in
vited to a pavilion We're coffee. sweets
and cigarettes were served with great
formality. While we were there an
accident happened. Our courier. in
reply to an inquiry, unintentionally
dropped a few words of Turkish, and
there was great excitement. One of
the guards took him aside and put
him through a close examination. but
finally accepted his explanation that
he was not n Turk nor resident of
Turkey, and was not familiar with
the language. but had learned a few
words during the recent war with
Greece, when he had served as a
dragoman for English newspaper cor
respondent