Page:Letters from India Vol 1.djvu/280

 arches of flowers and lamps up the two stair cases, and in the ball-rooms rows of little native lamps over the doors and windows, and wherever there was a straight line, which, in those high rooms made up of doors and windows, is not a scarce article. What I call native lamps are very small wooden saucers with a little pure flame of cocoanut oil in them. In the evening the native girls bring hundreds of them down to the water-side, and let them float down the river. If they burn well and float long, it proves that the fiancé is faithful; and, however that may be, the little lamp burnt in his honour is very pretty. I cannot say how many thousands of these we put up. The aides-de-camp all turned into tents that were erected in the park, and left their bungalows to the visitors. General Allard and all his Frenchmen came. The Danish people crossed over from Serampore and Calcutta behaved handsomely in furnishing us with sixteen dancing ladies, besides plenty of gentlemen. There was a steamer to bring them up, and boats to land them, and a sitting down supper, which they think much of. They began at nine, and danced without ceasing