Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-08-15


Few a tie treasures q Brckfzz
ham Palace possess oae-haif ne -
mantle Interest % the little aTrsery
o. swords and 6agsers -gifts -
Kfnx Edward from ore hundred %
the princes ard nobies - fn1la-
II f. eIMcult 20 separate trzT1
from Iegend, saya the strand. 5ut -
the great antiquity y most t4sre
can Be no nsanner ~ doubt Here =
a litue story whica wil Iilasfr1ia
this fact
A sword IL the collection - -
Maharajah 81 JalpuY was sold - a.
English n0bIeman. together win faa
scroll setting forth S. hiafory-
This blade was a taIisua1 = -
family Of sadat Chandra kh11. c.
ecendlng from father % s01 for eis-.-
teen generations. until the comi1~ =
Hadir shah. who siew sadaf Chzrslr1
Khan and gave THIS sword 20 E7
vizier. who sold IL A. Benares-
The EngIishman OF Its rctarr Has
one day showing MS prize 70 r.si-
tor. who. after scrutiuixiEg ne
blade under a powerful masnifyins
glass, began 20 laugh
Il think some one has been draw
ing a long how as vel as handling
sharp blade" he said There IS the
makers name here-'Johan SmttA.
York"
II seemed an awkward rcveiato1.
but there was a good deal more % %
revealed. "Johan Smith was IL
deed the maker. but he lived and
fIourlshed IN the thirteenth century.
and made this particular sword
and perhaps one or two others in
the present colIection-for some
crusading knight who. falling II the
Holy Land, left his weapon 20 Be
handed on 70 the infdels In The Far
East.
one blade Is a superb example of
Dasmascus watering. damaskeened
with escutcheons and inscriptions IN
Persian. At the back IS Inscribed the
makers name-Mohammed Ibrahina-
The hilt Is damaskeened IN gold vita
the Shah inscription. Ia fatta Ia
Ally, la saif Ma Zulfcar (''There f.
no saint but Ali, no sword but l1i-
hear").
The history OF this blade goes
back 500 years, and TO recount all the
notable and blood curdling deeds Or
Zul6car would require a Donderous
volume.
Histories Of swords exist IN many
nartg OF the East. IN the Royal IL
brary at Teheran there Is a mann
script OF 200 pages recOunting the
exploits OF a Damascus blade. prob
ably far inferior IN proves TO the
one just mentioned.
Everywhere we come across hne
European sabers fixed in Indian
handles. After a time the deep
grooves were made deeper and utii-
lied in strange fashion. being filed
with loose pearls which ran 20 and
fro when waved. These were called
"the tears OF the enemy"
A curious saber worn by successive
Rajahs of Mandi Is Of Indian make
and in the middle OF the blade are
circular apertures containing small
lcdQtu bHUts FlotDit tht bANA 80 ----
row Sits on either side OF the blade
This shot is said to have been ez-
tracted from the heart OF foe. and
Ramchander Chose relates many IN
stances OF swords manufactured IS
pecially to contain such fatal leadeS
| pellets.
Perhaps the most fascinating Of
all in the collection is the sword Of
the renowned Siv9ii. founder Of the
Mahratta dominion IN India. Several
native pens have attempted TO write
the history OF this wonderful blade.
but Il is doubtful II any could relate
q 1.-THE of is adventures
II, like many others. was borne IN
the Crusades by an English knight.
and my perhaps be Of English
make. IL IS a straight. one-edged
blade with two grooves on either
side, In one OF which the holy letters.
~. II. S." are stamped thrice. u IS
said that Siyaii claimed II to have
been the sword OF Godfrey de BouLl-