A BOTTOMLESS WELL OF GOLD.

Northland Age, Volume 2, Issue 41, 22 May 1906, Page 8

A BOTTOMLESS WELL OF GOLD.

It would be an immense benefit to all mankind it the stores of gold now held by individuals in India could be made available for general use. Ever, since the dawn of history that country has been gathering gold and hiding it away. Treasures of almost incalcuable value are possessed by, many Indian princes. When the Maharajah of Burdwan died, the stock of gold and silver left by him was so large that no member of the family could make 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 treasurehouses, one of them containing three rooms. The largest of these three rooms was forty-eight feet long, and was filled with ornaments of gold and silver, plates and cups, washing bowls, jugs, and so forth—all of precious metals. The other two rooms were full of bags and boxes of gold rnohurs and silver rupees. The door of this and other treas-ure-houses had been bricked up for ’nobody knows how long. These valuables, according to an ancient custom, were in the custody of the Maharajah’s wife, the vaults being attached to her apartments, b.ut none of them were allowed to be opened save in the presence of the master. One vault .was filled with ornaments belonging to the different gods of the family. The natives of India commonly bury their hoards, and among the poorer classes favourite hiding--place is a hole dug beneath the bed. Disused wells are sometimes employed for the same purpose. It is undoubtedly a fact that very many hoards thus deposited are lost for ever. GoM is also valued on religious grounds. The gods take up great quantities of gold, silver, and precious stones. The temples contain vast amounts of the yellow and white metals. The habit of hoarding seems to have been induced by agesof misgovernment, during which, oppression and violence were rife. No feeling of safety existing, it was natural that the natives should adopt the practice of reducing their wealth to a concentrated shape and hiding it. Thus, m case of emergency, the family savings in hard cash were always within easy reach, and robbers or other enemies were not likely to get hold of them. Meanwhile, century after century, the exports of India have greatly exceeded the imports of that country, and, consequently, an uninterrupted stream of gold and silver has flowed thither. The country is indeed a bottomless well, into which a stream of treasure perpetually flows.—“ Spare Moments"