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delight at Baroche, and the sacred spots in its vicinity. But as it 

 had been a Mahomedan principality before the English conquest, 

 and was still inhabited by numerous Mussulmans, their fasts and 

 festivals, although celebrated Avith less pomp and expense than 

 formerly, were strictly observed by all the followers of the prophet. 

 Their two grand festivals are those of the Ramazan and Beiram, 

 when the princes and great men repair in state to the mosques. I 

 have described the procession of the nabob of Surat on this occa- 

 sion. The Mogul splendour is mostly subsided at Baroche; few 

 families of eminence now remain there; their religious ceremonies 

 therefore were by no means expensive: but on the feast of Beiram 

 they all made the best appearance they could, and generally con- 

 trived to procure a new dress for the occasion. D'Herbelot men- 

 tions a curious anecdote of Mostanser Billah, caliph of Bagdad, 

 on the approach of the Beiram. This monarch going one day to 

 the highest part of his palace, saw many of the flat roofs around 

 him " spread with clothes of different kinds, and being told by his 

 vizier, upon his asking the reason of it, that the inhabitants of 

 Bagdat were drying their clothes, which they had newly washed 

 on the account of the approach of the Beiram, which is a very 

 solemn Mahomedan festival, Mostanser was so concerned, that 

 they were so poor as to be obliged to wash their old clothes, for 

 want of new ones with which to celebrate this festival, that he 

 ordered a great quantity of gold to be instantly made into bullets, 

 proper to be shot out of cross-bows, lvhich he and his courtiers 

 threw, by this means, upon every terrace upon the city where he 

 saw their garments laid a drying." 



The anniversary of the death of Houssain, the grandson of 



