a
large breast-plate of diamonds shaped like two flattened fleurs-de-lis,
and an ornament of the same kind on each thigh; large emerald bracelets
on the arms above the elbows and many other jewels in different places.
In one of the bracelets was the Koh-i-nur, known to be one of the
largest diamonds in the world. There were also some strings of very
large pearls put on like cross belts, only looser."
Shah
Shuja met with the fate he had meted out to his elder brother, and in
his turn was blinded and dethroned by his younger brother, Shah Mahmud.
The two blinded Shahs, united by a common misfortune, escaped together
over the border and were doubly welcome at the court of Runjeet Singh,
the fierce ruler, who goes by the name of the Lion of Lahore. The
unhappy brothers did not come empty handed. Shah Shuja had managed to
bring away with him an immense amount of jewels ; hence the joy of
Runjeet Singh, who had a passion for diamonds.
On the second day after his entrance into Lahore, Shah Shuja was waited upon by an
