who at home enjoyed
social position and some private fortune would be admitted into this
select circle.

For itself the state reserved a monopoly of the guano, of the turtles,
and of the buried treasure. And both to discover the treasure and to
encourage settlers to dig and so cultivate the soil, a percentage of the
treasure was promised to the one who found it.

Any one purchasing ten $200 bonds was entitled to a free passage to the
island, and after a year, should he so desire it, a return trip. The
hard work was to be performed by Chinese coolies, the aristocracy
existing beautifully, and, according to the prospectus, to enjoy _"vie
d'un genre tout nouveau, et la recherche de sensations nouvelles."_

To reward his subjects for prominence in literature, the arts, and the
sciences, his Majesty established an order of chivalry. The official
document creating this order reads:

"We, James, Prince of Trinidad, have resolved to commemorate our
accession to the throne of Trinidad by the institution of an Order of
Chivalry, destined to reward literature, industry, science, and the
human virtues, and by these presents have established and do institute,
with cross and crown, the Order of the Insignia of the Cross of
Trinidad, of which we and our heirs and successors shall be the
sovereigns.

"Given in our Chancellery the Eighth of the month of December, one
thousand eight hundred and ninety-three, and of our reign, the First
Year.

"JAMES."

There were four grades: Chevalier, Commander, Grand Officer, and Grand
Cross; and the name of each member of the order was inscribed in
"The Book of Gold." A pension of one thousand francs was given to a
Chevalier, of two thousand francs to a Commander, and of three thousand
francs to a Grand Officer. Those of the grade of Grand Cross were
content with a plaque of eight diamond-studded rays, with, in the
centre, set in red enamel, the arms of Trinidad. The ribbon was red and
yellow.

A rule of the order read: "The costume shall be identical with that of
the Chamberlains of the Court of Trinidad, save the buttons, which shall
bear the impress of the Crown of the Order."

For himself, King James commissioned a firm of jewelers to construct a
royal crown. In design it was similar to the one which surmounted the
cross of Trinidad. It is shown in the photograph of the insignia. Also,
the king issued a set of postage-stamps on which was a picture of
the island. They were of vario