The Shasta courier., 1865-04-08
RANKIN,
Elephant-Baiting in India.

At the beginning of November, 1868, I
CHANGED to be at Baroda during the race
week, not so much, perhaps, to see the
races (which may certainly be de-
nominated as second rate) as to see Guzer
at, the garden of India" and the indepen-
dent native state of Baroda. which is governed
by q rajah, or" guicowar' as he is called
This guicowar is at all times most obliging,
and willing to do what he can to promote
the enjoyment of any Europeans who may
chance to be there. and especially, believe,
during the races, to which he presents a
handsome 1901. cup, and generally attends
the meeting himself. Well. before we had
been there many days, my friend and l
received an invitation, through the resident,
to be present at grand " tumasha, which
was to be given by his highness in the
course of day or two, and at which most
of the few Europeans in the station would
bepresant This, Of course. we accepted !:
and, after ascertaining that the sports would
embrace an elephant bait'' with the posi-
biIity of an encounter between two rhinocer-
oses, settled down to wait as patiently as
possible for the time.
About three O'Clock in the afternoon of the
day appointed, an open carriage, drawn by two
white horses, whose sides were painted with
the native idea of gorgeous birds, with para
disical tails, etc., and sent for our accommo-
dation by the guicowar, arrived at our
bungalows and as the scene of contention
was about three or four miles off, and
punctualitv was generally observed, we made
a start of it at once. On the road through
the town the natives seemed mostly to be
dressed in their best, and on one or two
occasions we caTne upon - swells" mounted
upon their very gorgeously caparisoned
elephants, and scrupulously protected from
the by immense umbrellas borne by
attendants, a most carefully observed mark
Of nobility. just before arriving at our des-
tination we saw a large crowd, as it seemed
of men coming towards us on foot at Jog
trot, and making q most Internal row. = On
nearer approach, however, it turned out to
be the guicowar himself, surrounded by his
rather extraordinary body guard, armed
chiefly with swords, but preserving no sort
of order among themselves, although they
managed to keep the road clear for the eroyal
palanquin and its occupant, who was rather
q young looking man of about FIVE and-thrty,
very plainly dressed in white, and as far as
could see, without any of the usual profuse
native ornamental jewelry. His progress
along the crowded streets was attended by
reyereutial salaams, and reminded me very
foreibly of a field of ripe hay violently dis
tur5ed by a sudden gust of wind. As soon
as be had passed we dropped in his rear aud
in a few minutes more had accomplished our
journey.
Descending from the carriage, we mounted
some steps, at the top of which stood the
Prime Minister. who. as we reached him,
extended his hand English fashion, which
we. English-tashen, gave hearty shake !;
and then, being unfortunately not particular
jy well up in the language of the country,
exchanged few dumb but doubtlessly ex-
psess;ve signs Of mutual satisfaction, and,
preceded by guide through few dark
rooms and down two or three invisible steps
-of course just as one least expected them
emerged into the private balcony of the
gaeowar. A very fine sight here awaited
US; all along the other .hree sides of the
theatre, which was large enclosed rectan-
gular space of about 200 by 100 yards, were
crowded some thousands of natives. sitting
on the walls or the banks above; their head.
dresses were composed of all the colors of the
rainbow. looking, indeed. very much like a
large and guady mosaic, but witnal exceed
ingly picturesque. Within the inclosure
were grouped somewhere about so or 100 men
partially stripped and almost entirely armed
with long bamboo-shafted spears. These
athletes kept walking about underneath, our
balcony. brandishing their spears and show
ing their muscle, until the time for the
commencement. Of the fun arrived, evidently