In Lahore the celebrated stone was seen by Lord Auckland’s sister, the Hon. Emily Eden, in 1838-39. Ten years later the threatening attitude of the Sikhs, combined with repeated and overt acts of hostility, compelled the East India Company to settle once and for all with this turbulent neighbour. With slender forces Lord Gough advanced to subjugate the Sikhs, and in the three great and hard-fought battles of the Sutlej, Goojerât, and Chillianwalla, laid in the dust the vaunted power of this military race. The Punjab was annexed to the territories administered by the East India Company, the Maharajah Runjeet Singh ceased to reign, and the Koh-i-Nur passed to the British Army as part of the spoils of war. During the transition stage the Punjab was administered by a board of five British officers, amongst whom were the brothers Sir John[21] and Sir Henry Lawrence. At one of the meetings of the Board the question was raised as to what was to be done with the treasure taken, amongst which was the Koh-i-Nur, there lying on the table. The Board decided to ascertain the wishes of the Directors of the East India Company, and asked Sir John Lawrence meanwhile to take charge of it. Sir John, who had many and great matters on his mind, beside which a diamond was of small import, wrapped the stone up in a piece of paper, put it into his pocket, and forgot all about it! About six weeks after, at another meeting of the Board, a letter was read from the Governor-General, in which it was stated that it had been decided that the Koh-i-Nur should be presented by the Army of the Punjab to Queen Victoria. Sir John Lawrence listened to this pronouncement without much interest, till one of the Board mentioned incidentally that the diamond was in Sir John’s safe custody! Sir John, not being an emotional man, never turned a hair, but after hearing the debate through mounted his horse and galloped off to his bungalow. There he summoned his bearer, or valet, and said: “About six weeks ago I brought home in my pocket a piece of glass wrapped in a bit of paper. What did you do with it?” “Cherisher of the poor, I placed that piece of glass wrapped in paper on the top of your honour’s office box, and”—opening the box—“here it is!” Being an unemotional person Sir John did not fall on his servant’s neck and shed tears of gratitude; on the contrary, he merely said, “Very good,” put the diamond again in his pocket and rode off to deposit it with someone who had nothing else to think about, and a guard of soldiers to help him do so. From Lahore to England the Koh-i-Nur was sent under special precautions in charge of Major Macheson, and on arrival was presented to Queen Victoria as a loyal tribute from the Army which had by its gallant deeds added the Punjab to the Empire.