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CELEBRATED DIAMONDS 83
coast
of Borneo. Landak is in the territory of the Rajah of Matan, north of
Pontianak. It is said to have been found by a dyak. It was claimed as a
droit of royalty by the Sultan Gurn Laya, but he handed it over to the
Pangeran (rajah) of Landak. His brother got possession of it, and gave
it as a bribe to the Sultan of Sukadana that he might be placed on the
throne of Landak. The lawful prince fled to Bantam, and securing the
aid of the prince of that country, and the Dutch, regained his own
territory and nearly destroyed Sukadana. It is said that $150,000, 2
large war brigs with guns and ammunition, and other stores were offered
for the stone and refused. Some say this offer came from Batavia and
others that it was made by Jamieson, governor of Borneo. The diamond
is known in Borneo as the " Danan Radschah."
The
" Nizam " is a large Indian stone in the possession of the Nizam of
Hyderabad. It is said to have been found by a child in the neighborhood
of Golconda, and is described as somewhat almond shaped, and in almost
native condition. It shows some traces of an attempt to shape it into
the mystic Yoni. It is claimed that the stone was broken in the year of
the Indian revolt, which may explain the various accounts given of the
weight, some placing it at 277 carats; others at 340 and 440 carats, or
it may be confounded with the African "Victoria" stone of 1884,
weighing 457-1/2 carats in the rough, and 180 carats after
cutting, since reported to have been sold to the Nizam, and now
sometimes called also " The Nizam." It has been valued at £200,-000. It
has been reported that the piece broken off was sold for 70,000 rupees.
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