THE GAIKAWAR AT HOME.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4440, 12 June 1875, Page 3

THE GAIKAWAR AT HOME.

(From thi Month) M. Kousselet wisely determined to take his own time in his travels, and no wonder, when he found himself installed as the favorite of so lavish a sovereign. Thus he saw all the court life of Baroda. The palace was thronged with buffoons and dancing , girls, both of whom enjoyed a liberty allowed to no other subjects. The most exalted officials and ministers had to bear with the rudest practice! jokes from the court fools, and the more humiliating they were, the more the Gaikawar was amused. As to the dancing girls, to make up for the enforced absence of the numerous women of the harem, they were present even at the Councils of State, and much to tho detriment, one would suppose, of business, they danced and played before the Prince, who turned every now and then to chat familiarly with them. Besides enjoyments of this kind, the Gaikawar is passionately fond of soldiers, of hunting, and gladiatorial shows. His army, part of which was drilled and uniformed after the European modal, and officered by Englishmen, amounted in all to about fifty thousand men. One regiment of Guards was dressed exactly like the Scots Fusilier Guards, another, an artillery corps, rejoiced in silver cannons, while a third was composed entirely of nobles in splendid costume. Tho augurs, in whom the Gaikawar placed great faith, had day after day given their verdicts against the good luck of tho chase, and the bad weather supported them, so it was the end of July before a great hunting party could bo organised. A whole month was spent in tho chase, the Prince being accompanied by a complete army of attendants of every kind. A less legitimate amusement were tho games of the amphitheatre. The single combats between men whoso fiats were covered with sharp

spikes, • and which only ended with the death of. one or both of the combatants, had been forbidden. But the Gaikawar kept large bodies of pugilists and athletes, not to speak of “ torreadors,” if we may so call the fighters of wild beasts, elephants, tigers, wild boars, and other animals, to offer exciting but revolting shows. Like a well known Emperor, he boasted of his own skill as an athlete, and every morning after his bath he tried his skill as a muscular pagan with one of his professionals. An English gentleman could not attend more carefully to his stud than this Prince did to the training and feeding of this regiment of -wrestlers. No pleasure was dearer to him than to make two of these black Hercules almost mad with liquor, and then, with knuckledusters of horn upon their fists, hurl one against the other. Not even an English prize-ring could present a more disgusting sight, and M. Rousselet tells a story ■which is simply a reproduction of the worst features of the old Roman games. One of the combatants had shown the white feather, and tried to fly from his assailant; the other followed and threw»him, and both together were soon down on the sand, rolling at the feet of Khundi Rao. When the weaker cried for mercy, the victor turned to the Prince to know his will. “Strike, strike !” was the answer, and before long the head of the poor man was one mass of wounds and bruises, and he was quite insensible when he was removed. The victors received that very day- jewels and money to the amount of more than £4OOO.