174 VIZIER ALLY'S WEDDING. 



" a grand display. On each side of the proces- 

 " sion, in front of the line of elephants, were 

 " dancing-girls superbly dressed, (on platforms 

 " supported and carried by bearers,) who danced 

 " as the company went along. These platforms 

 " consisted of a hundred on each side of the 

 " procession, all covered with gold and silver 

 " cloths, with two girls and two musicians at 

 " each platform. 



" The ground from the tents to the garden 

 " forming the road on which the procession 

 " moved, was inlaid with fire-works ; at every 

 " step of the elephants the earth burst, and 

 * threw up artificial stars in the heavens, to 

 " emulate those created by the hand of Provi- 

 " dence, besides innumerable rockets and many 

 " hundred wooden shells, that burst in the air 

 " and shot forth a thousand fiery serpents. These 

 " winding through the atmosphere, illuminated 

 " the sky, and, aided by the light of the bamboo 

 " scenery, turned a dark night into a bright day. 

 ' The procession moved on very slowly, to give 

 " time for the fire- works inlaid in the ground to 

 " go off. The whole of this grand scene was 

 " farther lighted by above three thousand flam- 

 " beaux carried by men hired for the occasion. 



