The chest had been full to the brim, and we spent the whole day, and
the greater part of the next night, in a scrutiny of its contents.
There had been nothing like order or arrangement. Every thing had been
heaped in promiscuously. Having assorted all with care, we found
ourselves possessed of even vaster wealth than we had at first
supposed. In coin there was rather more than four hundred and fifty
thousand dollars --estimating the value of the pieces, as accurately
as we could, by the tables of the period. There was not a particle
of silver. All was gold of antique date and of great variety --French,
Spanish, and German money, with a few English guineas, and some
counters, of which we had never seen specimens before. There were
several very large and heavy coins, so worn that we could make nothing
of their inscriptions. There was no American money. The value of the
jewels we found more difficulty in estimating. There were diamonds
--some of them exceedingly large and fine --a hundred and ten in
all, and not one of them small; eighteen rubies of remarkable
brilliancy; --three hundred and ten emeralds, all very beautiful;
and twenty-one sapphires, with an opal.
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