The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1903-04-24
SURPRISING SpLENDoR.
Princes of India Attend the DurbaD
ut Delhi in Blaze OF Price,
less Jewels.

For 1000 years. and who can tell how
much longer, India mas been abso Ding
jewels. Rubies, d. amonds, pearls and
emeralds have found their way to Hin
dustan by caravan ana sea, while the
mines of Burmah and of India itself
have also contributed their quota to
this demand for gems.
What has become of them? Only an
insignificant quantity has found its
way out of that country, for once they
are acquired by native mobiles and ruiz
ers they go to the treasure house and
seldom see light.
kaJah after raj ah occupies the
thrones of the native states, and each
adds TO the royal store OF gems In
the old times raid after raid swept
these kingdoms; but tie conquerors
seldom discovered the hiding places OF
the jewels, and royal princes bore tor
ture and death rather than give up
the secret, says London paper.
Gold is clumsy and bulky in COM
parison with rubies of the same value.
Ten thousand pounds worth of ru-
bles could be concealed in turban;
but even the voluminous robes of the
east could not hide gold to similar
value, so the popularity of jewels as
the most portable form of wealth il
easily understood.
The best opportunity of displaying
this priceless accumulation for a gen.
Grafton has been the Delhi durbar. 1t
is safe to say that the ruling chiefs
that did homage to the English Raj
on New Years day wore on their CLOTH
ing the resources of their kingdom.
Not only were the turbans, robes,
swordhilts and scabbards crusted with
gems, but the trappings of their very
elephants shone with jewels. Perhaps
the maharajah of Gwalior wore the
most splendid collection amid the gor-
geous display. His collar of immense
emeralds was worn over in England
during the coronation festivities, and
attracted great admiration. The
three bands of magnificent stones
composing it are native cut.
They make splendid and glitter
ing show; but if recut in European
fashion their brilliancy would be i'm
creased tenfold. Indian rulers, how
ever, are conservative race, and re-
gard such a suggestion as the recut-
ting of their Jewels as vandalism.
The rest of this rajah's robes are
covered with gold embroidery SEA
with many smaller emeralds. Many
of these jewels have lost much of their
value according to our ideas) from
the fact that they have been pierced
for convenience in attaching them to
the princes clothing.
In the case of the rajah of Baroda,
a number of his priceless diamonds
have not only been pierced but en-
graved with texts. "Baroda" wears
collar of strings of large diamonds
that might almost be termed a cape.
Here and there it is picked ont by
the glow of a red ruby or the CLEAN
of an emerald or sapphire. In his tur-
ban he wears a large tassel of care
fully graded pearls. and the top OF
this wonderful headdress is mass OF
variegated gems matching the collar.
while great diamonds are set as pend
ants all round.
Though Sir Pertab Singh. mahara-
iah of Idar, is comparatively wealthy
man, he is poor compared to some OK
his compeers. Yet he wears in his
turban a jewel that he would not exc
change for the collar of Gwalior OK
the headdress of Baroda.
It is a little miniature of Queen Vic
toria set in the midst of a circle OF
brilliants 1t was presented to the
gallant Sikh chief by her majesty her
self. and he is never seen without it.
No rajah sets greater value to the
heirlooms that have come down to him
from 40 generations of forebears than
Sir Pertab attaches to this simple gift.
A favorite method among some In
dian rulers to set off their collection
of diamonds is to sew them on cos
tunes of black velvet Against tho
dead black of the costume the gems
sparkle like glow lamps, and the eff
feet is indescribably magnificent and
barbaric.
Pearls are the favorite ornaments.
of the Nizam of Hyderabad, that pow
erful chief, and he has five great ropes
of them. which he wears on great oc-
casions, all graded and of inestimable
value.
IF there is a paradise on earth. il
is this. it is this, it is this"
Such is the inscription running
round the marble cornice of the De-
wan-i-Khas at Delhi-the Private
Hall of Audience" on the banks of the
Jumna, which was the scene of the
state ball. The proud boast of the
mogul builder is justified in the
beauty and splendor of the work.
On a marble platform rises mar.
BILE pavilion from beautiful marble pill.
lars. Wondrous decorations are Law
ished on the walls, ceilings and pillars.
Green, blue, red and purple designs
of marble, lapis lazuli. or porphyry
are inlaid over every square foot of tho
interior, and the prophecy is fulfilled:
az will make thy windows of agates
and thy gates of carbuncles, and all
thy borders of precious Stones
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