SAVED THE DELHI DIAMOND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12698, 29 October 1904, Page 2 (Supplement)

SAVED THE DELHI DIAMOND.

, - J I J- • '.I '„1 . STRANGE STORIES ABOUT GEMsIIB TOLD BY A LONDON DEALER., { t \ \ -, In a very short time there will retire from ' active business the well-known expert mi i precious stones and metals, Edwin William U ■- Stoeeter. The story of his career is * . ' ? deeply interesting one. "I was/ the first," Ba id Mr. Streeter, "to open up the diamond mines of. South | Africa. At that time my business rim* 1 . ' was at Eevis Marks, and I had for a' . ' partner one Harry Emmanuel. The firm was known as Emmanuel 8r05,., formerly , , Robert Streets, jewellers to Queen -Snae. , o "y»vf in our offioe as slerk the tat* , - Cecil Rhodes, and it was our interest in ' . South African mines that turned the attention of .ho Empire-maker to that continent. m " During the Indian Mutiny, at tit. tak- . ing of Delhi, the Royal palace was sicked. :,; and some very valuable jewels secured. , Major Probyn got possession of a sh-inf? of ■.". - ; v-| fine pearls, and brought them to me for valuation. "I valued them at £30,000. I belie™ they were used for the purpose of ' obtaining remounts, horses being scare* in that campaign, as they, were in ScptU Africa. • • ' J " "But the strangest story is that in- con-'': : '- nection with the famous Delhi diamond. ' - : This got into the possession of one of ; the hussars, bat the commanding officer forbade hist retaining it, as he would have nothing to do with the loot. "The hussar, however, was not 00 easily to be deprived of so precious a pern, and he „ ' j., hit upon Si very simple, yet effective, ex- • pedient to retain possession of it. He embedded it in a pill, which he gave to \ his horse, and m got away with it. , ■< s •: "Later '-.'.be'' claimed '-that his horse was rtf,' suffering from some mysterious malady,!' and was unfit for service, directing that it, yjsnould be shot. This was done, the hussar " \ subsequently holding a secret post-mortem on, his' dead steed, and * removing the dia-,,; mond. Thus the stone reached England, , , and was purchased by the Duke of Bruns- ' /, wick, and from his grace I acquired it. , ! "Another curious little story," contin- ' ued Mr.: Stieeter," that : connected with the opal. Some years ago one of my sons, -, .■ ,v who,was located in Australia, was bidding adieu to a chum of hi», who was going • some distance up count "The latter was mounted on .1 Jwvse.aad .' as he rode away my son picked up a stone and playfully, threw it after Lira It ,-? struck /the metal part of the saddle, and broke in two. Upon, picking it up my son was astonished . to see right hv the very heart of it a beautiful opal. " This was the first discovery that opals \■; might be found in ironstones." It was as* ironstone he had picked up. "But this story has a tragic ' ~ ' | Soon after the young fellow "whs res'* away , came into a big fortune; three .\ months later he, while out hunting,"-:*** ' -!!l! thrown from his horse and had• his fleck". 1* broken.-rLondon Express. *! ' \ '' I%^ .:;■:■;■■■.:>>::