26 Peaids. 



blue sapphires and other coloured stones ; Its body Is 

 of gold, ornamented with stones ; and on Its breast 

 sparkles a great ruby, from which hangs a pear- 

 shaped Pearl of a yellowish colour, about 200 grains. 

 But the most costly part of this wonderful throne 

 is the pillars which support the roof. Round these 

 are twined rows of Pearls of splendid quality, one 

 of which weighs from six to ten carats. Four feet 

 from the throne stand, on either side, two sun 

 umbrellas of red velvet, embroidered In Pearls and 

 with a Pearl fringe ; the umbrellas stand seven or 

 eight feet high, and their sticks glitter with diamonds, 

 rubles and Pearls." 



Pearls were used in the East as tributes of war 

 paid by the conquered to the conquerors. We are 

 told that king Partab Chund, (a.D. 500) after he had 

 conquered and ravaged the countries of Cabul and the 

 Punjaub, brought, amongst other things, as tribute 

 to Chosroes II. of Persia, 1000 lbs of aloe-wood and 

 a box full of the most costly Pearls. Malik Allah, 

 captured in 1290, at Deoglrl, (now called Dowlatabad) 

 15,000 lbs of gold, 175 lbs of Pearls, and 50 lbs of 

 other beautiful jewels. 



In the Hindu drama called the " MrlchchakatI," 

 written by the royal author, Sudraka, who lived about 

 the first century (B.C. or A.D.), there Is an account 

 of a fierce elephant, which had broken loose and 



