destroyed a large pearl belonging to Abdul Hamid, who ordered him to be severely flogged and cast into prison. A little later the keeper of the Sultan’s jewels was found murdered, and his successor was hanged by a mob in a street of Constantinople. The Sultan’s favourite, Salama Zubayba, incurred his anger by wearing the blue gem and the infuriated ruler shot her as Prince Kanitovski had shot Lorens Laduc. All diamonds, however, would be unfortunate for Abdul Hamid. The diamond then fell into the hands of the Turkish revolutionary party and was sold by them to Senor Habib, a rich Spaniard, who was drowned in the wreck of the French mail steamer, Seyne, off Singapore. The gem was not lost with its owner, and was later sold to Messrs. Cartier Bros, of Paris and New York by Monsieur Rosenau, a well-known diamond merchant. In 1911 it was bought by Mr. Edward McLean, proprietor of the “Washington Post,” for £52,000 sterling, from Cartier Bros. It is said that both Mr. and Mrs. McLean were doubtful about the wisdom of purchasing this stone of ill omen which, according to report, had been previously refused by the Court of England on account of its evil reputation. Misfortunes quickly followed the new owners, culminating with the tragic death of little Vinson Walsh McLean, their only son, who was knocked down and killed by a motor car close to his father’s estate. After leaving the possession of the McLean family this stone found a purchaser in Monsieur de Hautville. Within three months the same peculiar misfortune which had befallen its previous owners befell them. Madame de Hautville, sharing the same fate as little Vinson McLean, was killed by a motor car whilst crossing a street in Paris. Following on this the eldest son, having taken poison by mistake, died in terrible agony. Mademoiselle de Hautville was accidentally drowned and the younger son whilst out shooting was blinded by the explosion of his gun. Quickly the de Hautvilles parted with this peculiar gem of ill omen. Where will it next find a home? The weight of the Hope diamond when sold by Tavernier to Louis XIV was 67 carats; its present weight is 44½ carats. It presents a curious psychical study and an undeniable evidence of fatal influence which it would indeed be difficult to explain away. THE PAUL THE FIRST This diamond is described as a brilliant red, weighing 10 carats. It was one of the Russian Crown jewels, being purchased by Emperor Paul the First for 100,000 roubles. It was a stone of ill omen for both Paul and Russia. He was murdered in 1801, and in his nativity the planet Neptune was, as in that of Marie Antoinette, in the sign Leo, accompanied by unfortunate planetary afflictions. THE DRESDEN