Large Enrolment This Year $18,500,000 Gold on Ship October 10.—The Cunarder Aquitania arrived yesterday irom Southampton via Cherbourg wicit the biggest shipment of gold ever carried on one steamship to this country and the largest diamond that has ever been brought to the United States. Lhe liner had 2,778 passengers on board. 3 The gold bullion was packed in 381 wooden boxes clamped with iron bands and the value was estimated at $18,300,000 in United States currency. On the voyage it was kept in the specie room under charge of the purser, C. T. Spedding, and the chief officer, P. A. Murchie.
The entrance to the specie room was guarded the entire trip and will be watched by members of the crew and the company's detectives from the pier until the gold: s taken from the ship, which will not be until to-morrow morning. The greater part of the specie goes to the Federal Reserve Bank toward the payment of Great Britain's share of the Anglo-French loan due on October 15.
The largest shipment of gold previously carried on one vessel was $13,500,000, taken on the North German Lloyd liner Kronprinzessin Cecilie in August, 1914, for England and brought back to America when Captain Charles Polack received warning by wireless that war was imminent.
Diamond Carriep By PasseNcer.
The great diamond was carried by a hist cabin passenger. Fred Withram, manager of the Madrid branch of the Mercantile Bank of America, 44 Pine Street, for the last five years, He said that ne had received it from Abd-el-Hafid, former Sultan of Morocco, to sell in this country.
The diamond, of light straw colour and a perfect stone, weighs 183.15 carats, is one and a half inches in diameter and one and a quarter inches deep and is very heavy. During the voyage the diamond was not placed in the purser's strong room, but was carried by Mrs. Withram in a chamois leather bag. She slept ith the precious stone under her pillow every night.
When asked if she knew the history of the jewel, Mrs. Withram said:
"Tt was worn in the centre of his turban by Abd-el-Hafid when he was Sultan of Morocco, and when he abdicated in favour of his brother he took the diamond with other jewels to Spain, as they were family heirlooms. This is the first one that he has attempted to dispose of.
"The former Sultan gave as his veason for sending the jewel to America that as he no longer had a throne there was no need for him to wear such a gorgeous stone in his turban, and America was the
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