Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 2).djvu/471

 been centred round the living fireworks. The "fighting cocks" greatly amused the Shah when he was over here, and the "boxing men" caused unbounded delight to the Emperor of Germany. However, whilst we were going over the premises the whole secret as to how they were worked leaked out. They are indeed living fireworks. Take the boxers, for instance. They are really two men clothed with an "asbestos" suit, and entirely protected from danger, who have fastened to one side of them a framework of fireworks, depicting a man in fighting attitude. The whole thing is lit up, and the brilliancy of it prevents the man behind being seen. He boxes away with his opponent, raising his hand, and dodging his head, and as he does so the frame on which the fireworks are fizzing necessarily does the same.

It is precisely the same with the "fighting cocks." Two men work the whole thing, and do it in a very life-like manner.

There are numerous bygone trophies of fireworks to be seen about the place. Here is a skeleton out of which every spark of life has vanished, the remains of a giant. Alas! but a sorry sight of what his immense statue once must have been. Only a few strips of charred wood remain. Here are broken bicycles, shattered boats and sledges, and here in a corner are the original mortars used in Hyde-park in the great display which took place to celebrate the triumphant conclusion of the Crimean War. Mortars marked "Calcutta," "Bombay," "Delhi," reminiscences of the Prince of Wales' visit to the Empire, and just close at hand is a curious Japanese mortar made of bamboo, riveted together with wood, and wound round with cane rope.