The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-11-18

the sights do not see half. But it is
safe to say that very few miss the
National Museum, which is an institu
ton unlike anything else in the world
1t is not library like the British
museum, and it does not exhibit freaks
like the ordinary museum, and il
might be called curio hall In Indian
antiquities and ancient American rel
les il surpasses any other museum
and in line of jewels and precious
bric-a-brac it is as rich as the sultan
treasury.
Stored away in the National Mu
scum are bushels Of gold, quarts of
precious stones, handfuls of beautiful
pearls, and china and cut glass worth
their weight in gold. 1t takes four
large cases to contain the uncut gems
/ atone, and three cases are filled with
the cut stones. Many Of them come
| from America, some are from India
/ and several have strange histories con
nected with them.
The United States is the only nation
which does not allow its officers to ac-
cept presents from foreign nations or
rulers, and that accounts for many of
the exhibits in the museum
The most precious, perhaps, is the
collection of jewels which the Sultan
OF Muscat, in Arabia, gave to Presi-
/ dent Van Buren,, comprising two large
pearls as big as pigeons eggs, $50
small pearls and 1870 diamonds.
There is a catseye ring from Siam,
another from Ceylon, another from Ba-
varia, and a native Indian necklace
made of catseye beads. One of the
most beautiful catseyes came from
Rhode Island, and this emphasizes a
point which few people know-that so
many precious stones are Indigenous
to this country.
In the cases are turquoises, beryls,
amethysts, garnets, pearls and emer-
alds-all found on our own soil, and
equal to anything imported.
Models of all the great diamonds of
the world are here, and there are
omeralds from New Mexico and from
South America. Four long bottle
green Brazilian emeralds, of two car
ats each, are very fine and another,
which Professor Dana bought in Peru,
is more than an inch long.
There are topazes from Siberia, sap
phires from North Carolina, and gar
nets from Bohemia, Ceylon, South AT
RIGA and New Mexico. New Mexico
furnishes the finest garnets in the
world in point of color, and It seems
to be the precious stone region of the
United States.
A curious stone exhibit has just
been received from Siberia. II is a
bowl of fruit made of precious stones,
carved out so naturally that one would
mistake them for the original. There
are red raspberries and luscious black
cherries, Strawberries and currants,
resting on leaves of green serpentine,
which are extremely natural.
The most valuable of the jewels
however, are those which are set in
the swords, guns and canes presented
to our great men, to say nothing OF
the workmanship. These jewels are
so valuable that guard is detailed to
watch them day and night, and each
case. has a burglar alarm connected
with it.
The Grant collection alone is worth
princely fortune. 1t comprises a
collection of gold and silver coins
from Japan, of which the only other
| set is in the Japanese treasury; ele-
plant tusks from Siam, numbers of
diamond-hilted swords and medals as
big around as teacup, some contain
ing $500 worth of gold.
Numerous cities gave General Grant
boxes containing the paper in which
| the freedom of the city" was present
ed to him. Ayr. Scotland, gave one as
big as a cigar box of solid gold, Gla5-
gov a still larger one, and the Lon
don box is a marvel in size and artis
tic workmanship. These are only a
few of the hundreds of gifts he re-
ceived and which are now in the mu-
scum.
There are dozens of swords here, all
extremely valuable and all relics of
soldiers, sailors and statesmen. The
star which the Sultan Of Turkey gave
to Mrs. S. S. Cox is also here. 1t is
as large around as a silver dollar and
sparkles with hundreds of diamonds.
The wife Of Minister Strauss was pre-
scented with "a similar star of the Order
of Shefekat and it will go into the
museum some day.
Then there are number of fine
dresses in the National Museum and a
cloak that is valued at SlO0O,OOO and
casts into the shade all the other
cloaks in the world.
1t comes from the Sandwich Islands
and it is made up of red and yellow
. ! r