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the elephants the earth burst before us, and threw up artificial 

 stars in the heavens, to emulate those created by the hand of Pro- 

 vidence ; 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 further lighted by above three thousand flam- 

 beaux, carried by men hired for the occasion. In this manner 

 we moved on in stately pomp to the garden, which, though only 

 a mile off, we took two hours to reach. When we arrived at the 

 garden gate we descended from the elephants and entered the 

 garden, illuminated by innumerable transparent paper lamps, or 

 lanterns, of various colours, suspended to the branches of the trees. 

 In the centre of the garden was a large edifice, to which we as- 

 cended, and were introduced into a grand saloon, adorned with 

 girandoles and pendant lustres of English manufacture, lighted 

 with wax candles. Here Ave had an elegant and sumptuous col- 

 lation of European and Indian dishes, with wines, fruits, and 

 sweetmeats ; at the same time above a hundred dancing-girls sung 

 their sprightly airs, and performed their native dances. 



" Thus passed the time until dawn, when we all returned to 

 our respective homes, delighted and wonder-struck with this en- 

 chanting scene, which surpassed in splendor every entertainment 

 of the kind beheld in this country. The affable nabob rightly ob- 

 served, with a little Asiatic vanity, that such a spectacle was never 

 before seen in India, and never would be seen again. The whole 



