GOLD HIDDEN IN INDIA.

Evening Star, Issue 12763, 16 March 1906, Page 6

GOLD HIDDEN IN INDIA.

It would be an imnrcrso benefit to all mankind if llte stores of gold now held by individual? in India oouid be made available for general use. liver since the dawn of history that country has gathering gold amd hiding it away. Treasures of almost incalculable value air- possessed by many Indian princes. When the Maharajah of Bard wan died the stock of gold and silver left by liim was so large that no member of the family could mate an accurate estimate of it. A report made to the British Government by a secret agent stated that on the estate of the defunct potentate were a number of treasure-houses, one of them containing three rooms. The largest of these three rooms was 48£t long, and was filled with omaroects of gold and silver, plates and cups, washing jugs, arid ;o forth, ail of preckms metals. The other two rooms were full of bags and boxes of gold muhurs and silver rupees. The door of this arid ether treasure-houses had been bricked up for nobody knows bow long. These valuables. According to an ancKad- custom, were in five custody of the maharajah’s wife, the vaults being attached to her apartnasn-us, hut none of them was allowed to be opened save in the presence of the master.. One vault was filled with ornaments belonging to different gods of the family. The natives of India commonly burr their hoards, and among the poorer classes a. favorite hiding-place is. a hole dug beneath the bedf Disused wells are sometimes ctnp’oifcd for the same purpose. It is undoubtedly a fact that very many hoards thus are lost for ever. Gold is also' valued on religions grounds. The gods take up great quantities of gold, silver, and precious stones, 'J’hc temples) contain vast amounts of the yellow and white metals. Th.e habit. oi hoarding seems to have been induced by ages of* misgoveimnenit, during which oppression and violence were rite. No feeling of safety' exuding, it was natural that the nahivee should ado])t the v pnictiee ©{ reducing their wealth to a. boncaatCTfcoi ihape and indiog it.