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suitable age, in a respectable family of the same caste. The feasts 

 and entertainments to his friends and acquaintance of all descrip- 

 tions continued many days, parading every night by torch-light, 

 through the principal streets of the city, with state horses, palan- 

 quins, musicians, dancing-girls, and every display of eastern mag- 

 nificence, in which the infant brides and bridegrooms, covered with 

 jewels and wreaths of flowers, made a splendid appearance; the 

 former in palanquins, the latter on led horses. These nocturnal 

 processions, illuminated by many hundred massauls, or torches, 

 illustrate the parable of the ten virgins, as each torch-bearer carries 

 a lighted flambeau in one hand and a brass vessel containing oil to 

 feed the flame in the other. Lullabhy's presents on this occasion 

 were extensive and valuable, considerably exceeding a lac of ru- 

 pees, upwards of twelve thousand pounds sterling. 



Not long after Lullabhy's daughter died ; being a man of such 

 high respectability, all those who had partaken of his festivity now 

 sent messages of condolence. I paid him that mark of attention, 

 not merely as a ceremony, but because I felt sincerely for his loss. 

 The religious rites and family customs on the death of relations are 

 piously and strictly attended to by all castes of Hindoos. When 

 the days of mourning were accomplished, I was surprised by a 

 much earlier visit from Lullabhy than I expected. On alighting 

 from his hackaree I received him as a person under affliction, and 

 cautiously avoided saying any thing to awaken his parental feel- 

 ings. He led to the subject himself, and, with a smile of resigna- 

 tion if not of cheerfulness, told me as it was the will of God to de- 

 prive him of his child, he had the greatest consolation which a 

 father could enjoy on such an event, that of seeing her previously 



