the
Afghan, and putting them in a sack, at night threw them into the
Tigris. In a dispute over a division of the booty, Shaffras slew his
brother and disposed of him in a similar manner. He then went to
Constantinople, and from there traveled through Europe. Catherine II
invited him to bring the diamond to Russia, and he was placed in
communication with M. Lasaroff, the crown jeweler, who offered an
annuity of ten thousand roubles and a patent of nobility. This he
refused and asked six hundred thousand roubles cash for it. No sale was
made at that time, and ten years later, the Russian Court, learning
that he was in Astrakhan, reopened negotiations and a sale was made on
the original terms.
Another
account published in London, 1812, of " Travels through the southern
provinces of the Russian Empire in 1793-4," by P. S. Pallas, says that
the traveler during a residence in Astrakhan became acquainted with
the heirs of Gregori Safarov Shaffras, who sold the diamond now in the
Russian scepter. They told a similar story about the stolen jewels, but
said that Shaffras followed the Afghan chief to Bagdad, and bought
them direct from him for fifty thousand piasters. After twelve years,
Gregori, with the consent of his brother, carried the diamond on his
travels west as described, and the Russian Court invited him to bring
the diamond to Russia for inspection. Count Panin, the Russian
Minister, he who was tutor of Catherine's son Paul and assisted in the
overthrow of her husband Peter, offered him five hundred thousand
roubles, one-fifth on demand and the balance by regular installments
during ten years, a patent of hereditary nobility, and a pension of six
