cup with a foot of gold, and with four little chains of the same
metal attached to a large pearl as a button: the edge of the cup was
of gold, on which was engraved in Latin words, "Inter natos mulierum
non surrexit major." These splendid gems are now buried deep in the
sand on the coast of Barbary, where they were lost in 1529, when
Cortes was shipwrecked with the admiral of Castile whilst on their way
to assist Charles V. at the siege of Algiers.

The quantity of emeralds obtained by the Spaniards in their pillage
of Mexico was large, but it was trifling when compared with that
collected by Pizarro and his remorseless followers in the sack
of Peru. Many large and magnificent stones were obtained by the
Spaniards, but the transcendent gem of all, called by the Peruvians
the Great Mother, and nearly as large as an ostrich egg, was concealed
by the natives, and all the efforts of Pizarro and his successors to
discover it proved unavailing.

The immense uncut Peruvian emerald given by Rudolph II. to the elector
of Saxony is still preserved in the Green Vaults at Dresden. This
collection is the finest in the world, and is of the value of many
millions of dollars. The treasures are arranged in eight apartments,
each surpassing the previous one in the splendor and richness of its
contents. This museum dates from the early period when the Freyburg
silver-mines yielded vast revenues, and made the Saxon princes among
the richest sovereigns in Europe. With lavish hand these potentates
purchased jewels and works of art, and the treasures they have thus
accumulated are of immense value, and remind the traveler of the
gorgeous descriptions of Oriental magnificence.

The finest emerald in Europe is said to belong to the emperor of
Russia. It weighs but thirty carats, but it is of the most perfect
transparency and of the most beautiful color. There are many other
fine emeralds among the imperial jewels of the czar, some of which are
of great size and rare beauty. The ancient crown of Vladimir glitters
with four great stones of unusual brilliancy. The grand state sceptre
is surmounted by another emerald of great size. The sceptre of
Poland, which is now treasured in the Kremlin, has a long green stone,
fractured in the middle. It is not described, and may be one of the
Siberian tourmalines, some of which closely approach the emerald in
hue. The imperial _orb_ of Russia, which is of Byzantine workmanship
of the tenth century, has fi