rubies
and emeralds, so exquisitely disposed as to form a mixture of the most
beautiful colours in the brilliant light reflected from its surface.
Several black feathers like the heron's plumes, were intermixed with
the resplendent aigrettes of this truly Imperial diadem, whose bending
points were finished with pear-shaped pearls of an immense size. The
vesture was of gold tissue, nearly covered with a similar disposition
of jewelry, and crossing the shoulders were too strings of pearls,
probably the largest in the world. I call his dress a vesture, because
it set close to his person, from the neck to the bottom of the waist,
showing a shape as noble as his air. At that point it devolved
downwards in loose drapery, like the usual Persian garment, and was of
the same costly materials with the vest. But for splendour nothing
could exceed the broad bracelets round his arms, and the belt which
encircled his waist. They actually blazed like fire, when the rays of
the sun met them; and when we know the names derived from such
excessive lustre, we cannot be surprised at seeing such an effect. The
jewelled band on the right arm was called the 'Mountain of Light,' and
that on the left 'the Sea of Light.' These names were of course derived
from the celebrated diamonds contained in the bracelets."
It
will be seen from our account of the " Darya-i-Nur" and "Moon of
Mountains" that this writer is in error regarding the name of one of
these famous diamonds. His description is in other respects extremely
interesting, and helps to show that towards the beginning of the
present century most of the
