The La Jara chronicle., 1906-04-13
LNDLI'S RICHEST POTENTATE.
he Owns a Carpet Made of Precious
Gems and Diamonds and Rubies
by the BuSheI,

unrlng the stay of the Prince and
princess of Wales in India they will
doubtless meet and be entertained by
a parsonage who has every reason to
De regarded as the richest of men in
the Orient, if not in the whole world.
his is the Gaikwar (or Rajah) of
Baroaa, a potentate who well illus
trates Millions famous line concerning
the Barbaric pearl and gold' which
the gorgeous East" showers on its
kinEs. No doubt, in point of annual
Income, there are richer men-Mr. John
d. Rockefeller, for instance-but, from
the standpoint of personal possessions
the Gaikwar probably has no rival in
the world.
When he came to the throne some
twenty-five years ago the present ruler
of BarOda found stored in the vaults
of his palace wealth so colossal that
description of it outdoes the ARA
bian Nights" itself. Certainly Aladdin
never thought of a carpet of jewels,
such as the Gaikwar possesses. To
say that there is nothing like it in
the world is only feebly to describe its
glories, which can be better indicated
by the statement that it is about four
yards square and composed of ropes
of rubies, diamonds, pearls, woven into
"a regular carpet well-deiined pattern
and border. Thousands of dollars
worth of jewels, every one of the finest
quality, went to make up this wondrous
carpet, the product of three years
work by skilled artists and jewel set
ters
Now, if the Gailwar of Baroda were
only moderately wealthy, this mon
arch of carpets would doubtless occu-
py the place of honour in his palace
But as he possesses jewels enough to
set up a dozen ordinary monarchs the
jewelled tapestry occupies an odd cor
ner, and is shown to visitors as mere
ly but one of the treasures of the
palace.
Less of a curiosity, but far more
valuable, is the Gaikwar's diamond
necklace, a trinket the value of which
several times make a man million
aire. This necklace is the most mag
nificent in existence. And even the
honor OF possessing the second finest
is denied to the rest of the world, for
that also is amongst the Gaikwar's
family jewels, being worn by his wife.
who is, besides, lowered with brooch
es, bracelets. rings and other orna-
ments, the value of which is COM
puted in millions of dollars.
Another notable ornament worn by
the Gaikwar is a collarette made of
five hundred diamonds of the purest
water, which includes in its glittering
rows the famous "Star of the South"
the fourth largest diamond in the
world.
Such a dazzling collection-such a
''welter" of jewels-was, needless to
say, not made in single lifetime. For
centuries the Gaikwars ancestors have
been accumulating their treasures, un-
til to-day the jewels alone could be
measured in bushels. AS for the rest,
there are pictures in bronzes and stat
uary to the value of several millions
of money.
A royal procession in Baroda is
worth going many miles to see. Horses
and elephants, all splendidly capar-
lsoned and blazing with gems, lead the
way; but the cynosure of all eyes is
the Gaiker, not merely because of his
personality, but also by reason of the
stupendous wealth represented by the
jewels with which he adorns himself.
He is, perhaps, the one man in the
world who could wear that mammoth
amongst gems. the great Premier Dia-
mond, without incongruity.