The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-01-28
A WEALTHY INDIAN PRINCE.
THE MAGNIFICENT ESTATE OF THE
MAHARAJAH OF JEYP0RE.

for Each One--The Bajsh's Elephants.
Jeypore is the capital and residence OF
one OF midas wealthiest princes. The
Maharajah's estate covers 1900 square
miles and has a population Of $4,000 OO
souls. The city of Jeypore is encircled
by a crenellated wall with seven gate
ways. Those are all well guarded during
turbulent times in India. The city il
typically Indian, with crowded street
and bazaars. In the centre Is the Mahara-
jah's palace, beautiful gardens and pleas
ure grounds adorned with fountains,
tropical trees, plants and Towering
shrubs. The palace and grounds occupy
one-seventh of the walled city, and are
surrounded by a high embattled wal
built by Jey Sing when he left Amer.
One of the interesting sights in Jey-
pore is the observatory built by the cele-
brated royal astronomer and founder,
icy Sing. 1t is one of the largest in In
dia, and is remarkable even 10 this date
on account OF the many curious instru-
ments, dials, gnomons, quadrants, &c,
built of solid stone. Some of these as
Economical instruments are hundreds OF
feet in height and in diameter, and OF
great interest to astronomers. Many OF
thC llblI uiilChto aiS AhhC w ~
lists at the present day, although they
served the purpose Of Jey Sings wonder
fully accurate calculations and observa-
tions.
The royal stables are also OF consider
able interest. They cover, perhaps, ten
acres of land, with stalls on each side and
large exercise grounds in the centre.
There are several hundreds Of fine horses,
oon,o ~ nknica Agian h1ppI from III mart
Of the country, of various build and
color, from the finely spotted Arab {
the graceful, delicately-lim bed Deccar
the fleet footed Punjaub mares and blood
bay English troopers. Each horse has
special attendant, and each attendant
knight of the horse has several servant
Each horse is double-quilted, althou
the temperature ranges from 80 to !
deg. Fahrenheit.
All of them are too much blinded a
hampered and most ~ruinously fat. Th
stand upon clean dirt in spacious sta
Each horse is tied-not by his head al
neck as we do, but by his feet. Aroui
the fetlocks are astened leather bands
which ropes are attached so that the an
nal can neither paw, strike nor kic
The ropes from the hin feet are fasten
w q CNpi0 DiiAoi oAh N"Niht HN w
If in spite of this these noble animals "
surge about, lateral ropes are fastened
each foot so that the poor creatures ca
not move in any direction more than 5
inches
Should they still be uneasy large ho
is drawn over their heads and eyes {
keep them quiet. The horses are fed o
a mixture of meal, brown sugar and bui
Ter, which makes them as fat and plum
as a porker, regular roly-poly ponies use
much too little. Several OF the finest n.
kept constantly saddlcd and rich
caparisoned to be ready at a momen
notice, for the Prince brooks no delg
Anything he wants must be supplied
once.
The hundreds of attendants are pa
four rupees a month (s129), and by I!
time they board and clothe themse V
there is not much left for their faml d
out OF four cents a day. The avera
wages per day in India is from three
five cents-prices not at all exorbitai
when one considers that most OF the me
raise large families, and pay house rent
&c, to say nothing OF Injuries, such q
betel nut. Even with these prices of So
four cents a day, the people are hap
and contented, and one never hears &
trades unions or strikes,
Besides these ample stables the Raja
has twenty huge Indian elephant
Tor excursions. These noble beasts ar,
about twelve feet high and OF enormou
size. A car is strapped on the elephant
back and a whole family rides on one an
imal. To mount an elephant is quite o
task. The animal il made to kneel, and
then, by means Of a step ladder, one
climbs into the car on his back as IL IL
were a house. When one is comfortabl
seated, with the shade drawn to keep off
the sun, the elephant swings along at a.
easy gait OF twenty miles an hour. Ou
elephant was richly caparisoned wit
gold embroideries; his ivory tusks We.
set with jewels and clasped with agoldo
band, for he was one OF the Princes faN
orItes.
The Maharsih h also keeps another lC
OF elephants which we did not like &
looks of. These are the tighters-hug
powerful fellows, with sharp tusks az
vicious eyes. They are trained to figL
anything and everything, but especial
the wild elephants in the mountain
They charge at these with full speed n
plunge their tusks into their %antagonIi
and gore them to death. An olCphsi
nght IL part of the royal sport in Ind
and not to be missed IL one has the OF
p%ortunity to witness one.
Jeypore is also famous for its enan
works and the cutting and setting
garnets and other precious stones fou
in the state. The native school OF &
sign IL exceedingly interesting. He
children are sent as apprentices for Il
years before they EARN anything, but &
work they do IN copper and brass is u
excelled In any part OF the world. Tn
sit on the ground with a piece Of brt
held by their toes, a small hammer
n hsnd and a small piece Of steel in 9
other, and with these crude inplemen
they will hammer until they finish ,
highly ornamental vase or cup. the equa
OF anything we saw in any other country.