THE GAIKWAR OF BARODA.

Evening Star, Issue 3906, 31 August 1875, Page 3

THE GAIKWAR OF BARODA.

The following particulars "f this now somewhat notorious Indian ruler and his court have been eontiibuted by an eye-witness. < >n visiting the <-aikwarV; palace at Daroda it \va,: found to In' thronged with buffoons and dancitu/ girls, all of whom enjoyed a liberty a! lowed to no other subjwds. The moM exalted officials and ministers had u» bear with the rudest ]iv.;c:j'oal jokes from the court fools, and the more humiliating they were the more the Gaikwar was amused. As 10 the dancing girls, to make up for the en forced absence of the numerous women of the harem, they were present even at I hi-; Councils of State, and much to the detriment, one would suppose, of business, they danced and played before ihu Prince, who turned every now audtlen to chat familiarly with i}:('])h ISeskles enjoyment oi* this kind, the, (Jaikw.-u J passionatrly fond of sr>hliejs. of hunting, and gladiatoi Id t;le;v/s, I i is army, ' part of which was drilled and md ' formed after the European model, and olltcetta hy Englishmen, amounted in

all to about 50,000 men. One regiment of Guards vus dressed exaclly ' like the Scotch Fusilier Cuards; ' another, an artillen corps, rejoiced in 'sil vor ciiiu'ii) : while a third \\ :i:s com posed entirely ol' nobles in .splendid t• >-;*■ 11nt<v A less legitimate, amusement Were iho games of the amphiiheat re. The single combats between nicu whose lists weie i'-ov<'ivd with sharp spikes, and which ended only will) the death ol' olio or lintli ihc combatants, had li'.'i.'ii forbidden. i>ul the Claikwar kept ],u■ ho,lies ol' pugilists and athlete.-. )\ot to speak ol' " torroadors," if we niav so call the lighters of wild beasts-, elephant..-'. tigers, wihl boar?, and othe«. animals, to oiler diim cnutimial i-nli rtainmcrds ol' the most e:\citing but revolting kind. hike a well-known emperor, he boasted of hi;', own skill a* an athlete, and every morning after his bath he tried his skill as a muscular pagan with one of his professionals. An hhigiish gentleman could not attend more carefully to his stud than the Prince did to the training and feeding of his regiment of wrestler;,. : Yo pleasure was :joai'Oi' (;> him than to make two of these black giants almost mad wi'h liquor, and then with knuckledusters of horn upon their lists, Ijui') ope againqt the other. Not e\e U , in JCuylisli prij;n-riug could present a inure, diseatwiiny shdit: and M. Kousselote (ells a si 017 which is fiuijj)lv- a reoi'jduetiou of the y,-qj-sL features o|- the Uomavi j.;n«us. One of the eoi n b ; ,t u ul.s ] mt j s j, owu t ], e w j lito feather, ami tried to fly from his assailant ; the other followed and threw !;|iu. andbofh together wevo ioon down onllie saml rolling ac the feet of the Prince. When the weaker cried for merer, his victor tamed to the Prince to i..w-.\y |;i>j will. '- St-viU,!, strike :" was the ;in.,ucr., and before. Jong the the head of the poor man was ono mass of wounds and brai.'•>..-,; and ho was oiiite iii.-oii'sibie w'Ury, he was removed.