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XX.
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THE ABBAS MIRZA.
Pieces
of the "Great Mogul"—Dr, Beke and the " Koh-i-Nur" —Evidence against
his theory, and that of Professor Tennant—Complete identification of
the "Abbas Mirza,"
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N
a previous chapter we ventured to express the opinion that Tavernier's
" Great Mogul " has ceased to exist as such, and, to escape detection,
has been cut up into two or more stones. If this view is correct there
can be but little doubt that what we have named the "Abbas Mirza" is
one of these pieces. It turned up at the capture of Cucha, in
Khorassan, by the Persian general " Abbas Mirza," in 1832, but
attracted little attention until the meeting of the British Association
in 1851. On that occasion a statement was made by Dr. Beke, of the
Chemical Section, " On a Diamond Slab supposed to have been cut from
the Koh-i-Nur." The subjoined report of Dr. Beke's views appeared at
the time in the Athenceum, for July 5, 1851 :—
"It
appears that in 1832, the Persian army of Abbas Mirza, for the
subjugation of Khorassan, found at the capture of Cucha, among the
jewels of the harem of Reeza Kooli Khan, a large diamond slab, supposed
to have been cut from the ' Koh-i-Nur.' It weighed 130 carats, and
showed the marks of cutting
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