392 



THE FESTIVAL. 



Rio de Janeiro the rocket and the squib have taken 

 its place. This year (1857) a storm of rain on the 

 evening of May 24th concealed the crescent, and it 

 was not till half -past five p.m. on the 25 th, that a 

 salute from the shipping announced, despite the 

 thick drifting scud which hid every inch of sky, 

 that the weary c blessed month ' was no more. 

 Then the men gathered about the palace, the 

 women nocked to the house-tops, and the city, 

 usually so sadly silent, rang with shouting, sing- 

 ing, the braying of trumpets, and irregular dis- 

 charges of small arms. After sunset again all 

 was still as the grave. 



The 'Id el Saghir, or lesser festival, that con- 

 cludes the Ramazan, began at dawn on May 26th ; 

 the usual public prayers were recited in the 

 mosques, and at 8.30 a.m. the squadron, dressed 

 with flags, fired whilst the townsmen followed 

 suit. The servants and slaves gathered in their 

 new clothing to kiss the master's hand and to 

 wish him a happy festival. The Princes rode out 

 in state. In the bazars an endimanche mob 

 assembled despite the heavy rains, and before 

 sunset they trooped through the miry lanes to 

 witness the races at Mnazi Moyya, which take 

 place only when the tide is out. These festivities 

 — they have already been described — continued 



