13 
moonlight, the prongs are lighted with eight flambeaus. From the 
fourth to the tenth, they decrease one in number every night, so 
that on the tenth night, when the moon shines very bright, one 
flambeau is sufficient. And they continue in this state till the 
fitteenth, and increase every day from the sixteenth to the nine- 
teenth. On the twentieth they continue the same; and on the 
twenty-first and twenty-second increase one daily. The twenty- 
third is the same as the twenty-second ; and from the twenty-fourth 
to thirtieth night of the moon, eight prongs are lighted up. For 
each link are allowed one seer and a half of oil, and half a seer of 
rags, more or less, according to size. In some places they burn . 
lamps with grease ; but in the palace nothing is used but oil. 
“Tn order to render the royal camp conspicuous to those who 
came from far, His Majesty has caused to be erected, in the front 
of the Dowlet Khanah, a pole upwards of forty yards high, which 
is supported by sixteen ropes, and from the top of the pole is 
suspended a large lantern, which they call the Akassdeeah.” 
THE READER. 
“Every day some capable person reads to His Majesty, who 
hears every book from beginning to end. He always marks with 
the date of the month the place where he leaves off; and the 
reader is paid according to the number of pages. There is hardly 
a work of Science, of Genius, or of History, but has been read to 
His Majesty ; and he is not tired of hearing them repeated, but 
always listens with great avidity.” 
THE CEREMONY OF WEIGHING THE ROYAL PERSON. 
“As a means of bestowing a largess upon the indigent, the 
royal person is weighed twice a year, various articles being put 
into the opposite scale. The first time of performing this ceremony 
is on the first day of the Persian month Aban (October), which is 
the solar anniversary of His Majesty’s birthday. He is then 
weighed twelve times, against the following articles :—Gold, 
Quicksilver, raw Silk, artificial Perfumes, Musk, Roohtooteea, 
intoxicating Drugs, Ghee, Iron, Rice, Milk, eight kinds of Grain, 
