Doorannee,
founder of the Afghan monarchy, whose history is a perpetual succession
of crimes. Runjeet-Singh, Schah of the Punjaub, or Five Eivers,
extorted it from the last of the Afghan kings of Caboul, Soujah-Schah ;
and, in order to deprive it of its fatal influence, he dedicated it to
the Temple of Juggernaut. But his successor, not respecting the
paternal will, took it from the temple, and the Punjaub became subject
to England.
It
is said that the English East Indian Company bought it for 6,000,000
lire. Lord Dalhousie presented it to Queen Victoria in 1849 ; and the
superstitious Indian subjects of Great Britain, always retaining the
same idea, attributed to the Koh-i-noor the revolt of Delhi and the
death of Prince Albert.
After
being taken to London it was again cut, and consequently diminished in
value ; nevertheless it remained extraordinary on account of its length
and width.
Russia, of all states, contains perhaps the greatest number of brilliants.
The
Imperial treasury has three crowns, all formed of these gems. The
first, that of Ivan, contains 881 ; the second, that of Peter the
Great, has 8-17. That of Catherine, which is the third, is ornamented
with 2536 stones. For size, the first ia that which bears the name of
Orloff; it weighs 193 carats, and is as large as half a pigeon's egg;
it adorns a sceptre. This diamond formed one of the eyes of the famous
idol of Brama in the Temple of Scheringham. In the
