lections made under the Roman and Byzantine emperors,
which fell into the hands of the Turks in the fifteenth century,
and has since been greatly augmented by acquisitions from
various nations conquered by or made tributary to the Turkish
sultans. Some of these treasures have, however, found their
way to France and other countries.
Permission was given, says Mr. Hamlin, to an English
party, in 1840, and again to an American, in 1880, to visit the
imperial treasury, and from these eye-witnesses we are surprised to learn that a country reputed to be so poor financially
is so rich in costly jewels. A very few articles selected from
this miscellaneous assemblage of royal emblems and garniture
will give some idea of the variety and splendor of the whole
collection.
Here are thrones blazing with diamonds, rubies, pearls, and
gold, including the celebrated throne of Nadir Shah, costumes
of the sultan bedizened with sparkling jewels, plumes with diamond fastenings, swords and daggers with hilts decorated with
gems, shields elegantly wrought and jewelled, horse trappings,
saddles and their coverings, embroidered with pearls and
precious stones, knives, forks, spoons, and other articles of
table service, clocks, inkstands, and snuff-boxes, all of them
decorated in a similar manner. The imperial treasury holds a
brilliant array of armor worn by the sultans ; that of Murad II.,
the conqueror of Bagdad, is mentioned as being especially
remarkable for its garniture of precious stones. A golden elephant standing on a pedestal covered with pearls, a table inlaid
with topazes, the gift of the Empress of Russia, costumes
trimmed with valuable furs and priceless gems, divans and
cushions of gold tissue wrought with pearls, cradles of solid
gold inlaid with precious stones, crystal vases encrusted with
diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, and numerous other articles,
