jewels,
which may or may not be given. At that time I shall also endeavour to
get such drawings and legends as you wish for. I may, however, say that
of late years immense robberies have gone on ; and very likely the
stones you speak of have disappeared. When Abdul Aziz was dethroned,
and Murad came in, he paid his banker, a certain Christaki Effendi, the
debt he owed him (£500,000) in diamonds ; giving him, so it is alleged,
no less than £800,000 worth of stones. Christaki Effendi went to Paris,
where he disposed of the gems; but as Murad in the meanwhile was
dethroned, he never took the trouble either to come back or to render
an account. It is thus very likely that my search for the stones of
which you speak may be fruitless. In the meantime you must be patient,
and I shall promise not to forget your request."
Five months later our correspondent writes again, this time from Constantinople :—
"
I have your memorandum of 2nd inst, and can well understand that you
are surprised at my long silence. I regret, however, to say that I am
not one whit nearer the information you desire than when you first
wrote to me about it; and that I doubt very much if I ever shall get
anything reliable to communicate to you. I have taken no
inconsiderable amount of trouble in the matter, and have approached
several high and influential men on the subject; but with absolutely no
result. It is not at all a question of money ; but simply this, that
the reign of terror in the palace is so absolute, that no one would
ever dare to ask a question referring to crown jewels."
