The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-27 00:00:00

THE DUSSERAH AT LAHORE.

The following description of the Dusserah, or great
llindoo festival, by an officer present, is taken from
the Gentleman's Gazette Overland, a Bombay paper :
"Lahore, Oct. 20, 1847.
" Yesterday was the Dusserah, the gala day of La-
hore. With his usual kindness the Resident invited
all officers who wished to come, and I thought the
scene well worth the visit.

" I was present a short time before Sir John
Littler and Colonel Lawrence arrived, and, dismount-
ing from my horse, I leaned against the high gates,
which, now flung open, showed the Palace square,
gay with bands of chiefs and their retainers, and
lined on either side with guards of horse and foot; the
led horses caracolling in their rich trappings, the
thin lances upshooting from those yellow clumps into
the clear air, and the huge elephants standing in their
quiet magnificence.
"In my front was a rampart wall, crumbling and
dinted with many shots. Every gateway, every
house, had its story of murder, its legend of civil
strife, and now, in the heart of a great capital which
two years ago had so throbbed with stormy anger
and hatred of the Feririghee, I saw mingled together
the tall Seikh with his yellow dress and dark beard,
the mart Affghan with his large turban and broad
shield, the unarmed English soldier, and the self-
possessed Sepoy.
g, And :hopefully and proudly I thought of the
power and generous forbearance of a wise Govern-
ment.

" A carriage drives rapidly up. The Resident and
the General with their staff. The Seikh band plays
God save the Queen,' the soldiers present arms, and
the lion guns roar out their welcome.
, A forward rush, the rearing and neighing of
startled steeds, and the wild clamour of trumpets, and
we came to the foot of the raised terrace in front of
the Dewans-i-Am, shaded by rich canopies of red
shawls, on poles of silver. Raja Tej Singh and the
Sirdars of the Durbar were there to receive the visit.
Halfway came the little handsome Maharaja, dressed
in yellow satin, and glittering with royal jewels. W. e
seated ourselves, Colonel Lawrence and General Lit-
tler on the right and left of the Maharaja. Bags o.f
rupees were presented by the officers of the Resi-
dency, and then came thronging his chiefs with their
offerings, the wheat-blade in their graceful turbans
speaking the hope of a successful year. So the
little Xing sat calmly on his throne, now pleased

with a picture, and now bending down his long
dark eyelashes and his bright pleasei face to. caress
the large parquet on his wrist, while they told out
the gold at his feet ; and behind and all about amongst
the waving fans was a crowd bright as a tulip-bed.
" When the nuzzurs were all made, there came
forth a spangled train of dancing girls ; without
waiting for their performance, hut regaining my
horse, I hastened to where I could observe the ele-
phants issuing forth in all the barbaric pomp of gold
and silver turrets and painted heads. The young
Maharaja in front sat in his golden howdah, smiling
and talking merrily with the Resident (his Regent)
by his side ; Sirdars and British officers, friends,
sharing the same seat, joking and complimenting.
And before all, the rollicking and lusty troop of
mummers. On, like a sea, rolls the great procession
to the battle-field of Ram and the giant Rawun.
" The giant is slain, the jolly mimes are again fro-
licking with their clubs—again thunders on the
cannon. Hurrah for the boy king!
" See that compaet little party of Holmes's Cavalry
with their casques and dark green vests, how the
horses involuntarily twitch their heads at the sound I
" And now the plain and that great crowd is ob-
scured with dust and smoke. We move back through
the tall rustling sugar cane, over the green meadow,
under the high arch, by the new tomb of Runjeet
Singh, by the tall minars, dark against the yellow
sky, and:through the narrow bazaar; the blind.beggar.
his mat spread on the wall, cries as the brave show
goes by, 'How costly a thing is sight!' On the
house-tops sit the young and the old ; the palsied
crone, and the little child pranked out in his holiday
suit, all with joined hands and moving lips.
",The Bunneeah peers forth from among his piled-
up goods, and the naked Fakeer screams forth his
blessing; see how the little king smiles as the Saheb
talks with him.

" And as the sun sinks down over the wide down, We
are again at the palace.
" The peaceful festival is over; who will not join
with us our in rouse for Dhuleep Singh ?
" May his reign prosper,: and bring to the lately,
vexed Punjab a new era, the rich harvest of content.

WILL OF THE MARQUIS
D'ALIGRE.

The late Marquis d'Aligre,;Peer of France, has
left funded and personal property in England valued
for duty at 120,0001., and had made several wills and
testamentary documents, those of later dates referring
to the preceding, which made it necessary to prove
them all, being thirteen in number, as containing
together his will, and is one of the longest on record.
Every person having two or more legacies of different
value may choose the one most advantageous.
He has directed that out of his English funded
property the sum of 85,0001. sterling (about 2,000,000
francs) shall be appropriated in founding an asylum
at Bourbon Lancy, originally intended, as by a Will
dated in 1819, to be built in the town of Chartres,
from which his family originated, as a solace for age,
support of infancy, and a refuge for females who
have gone astray. He leaves also 900,000 francs
among nine communes in Marans, wherewith to found
in each an hospital, asylum, monastery, or home for
sisters. To the communes of Beville, Pontgouin, Le
Fravril, St. Maurice, and Croissy, 100,000 francs to
each. To St. Maurice the furniture at the Castle de
Vaux ; to Beville the furniture at the Castle of 13aron',
ville ; to Croissy, the furniture at the pavilion of
Croissy ; to the Hospital at Bourbon Lancy the furni•
tare in his mansion at Paris and at the Castle of St.
Aubin, with the domains of Vezon Phly and others.
His woods and trees to be cut for the benefit of the
hospitals. To the hospital of Chateau Chinon 300,00!
francs ; communes of Vilaine and St. Aubin, each
40,000 francs ; and as long as the chateau of
Aubin exists, any of the old people, a man or woman,
born at St. Aubin, and having resided there fifty
years, and of the age of seventy, shall have the right
of admission, an octogenarian having preference'
Also leaves annuities to certain of the occupants, Pd
.
those who may require the benefit of the seaside fcl
a time, their expenses to be allowed. To Mr. Bre"
ton, parish priest of St. Maurice, an annuity of 1,06/
francs ; and to thirty of the oldest poor of St. Me"
rice an annuity of 250 francs each. To Mr. Cohen,
curate, 10 000 francs ; and to his niece, Theresin, an
annuity of 1,000 francs. The legatees and annuitants
are numerous ; some English subjects. To each Per;
son in his employ on his several establishments and
estates he leaves a legacy or annuity, and in marl
cases both. To his secretary 50,000 francs, and an an"
nuity of 8,000 francs; and to his wife 20,000 fiance'
To M. J. L. A. Debois, notary, 200,000 francs, and
an annuity of 12,000 francs. To Madame Hazard the
books, prints, marble, bronze, pictures, and collection's
and 15,000 francs ; requests M. Bowthier to accept
from his collection of books to the value of 6,000
francs. To his grandson and godson, Etienne Pottle-
ron, an annuity of 100,000 francs ; and to his grand'
son, Alexis Pomeron, an annuity of 50,000 francs;
and leaves the immense residue of his property to hie
great-grand-nephews and two great-grand-nieces on
the maternal side, namely, Amelia and Hector Gallard,
son and daughter of Hypolite Gallard ; and Marie and
Edward Collet, son and daughter of Madame de Padet
Collet, to be the universal legatees. He has left to
each of his executors, Messieurs Breton and Guyet
des Fontaines, notaries, a diamond, or bequest of the
value of 50,000 francs.
Madame d'Aligre Lying died in the autumn of last
year, 1846, and wishing to offer a token of affection
to her family, and a mark of respect to her memory,
he bequeaths to M. Cyprian de Pontaine and wit
500,000 francs ; and bequeaths to the Hospital of
Bourbon Lancy the statue of Madame d'Aligre an
,4
bas relievo, both of silver; and directs that his wife 9_
remains, deposited at Chartres, shall be placed close
to his. Forbids his body being opened, but 1!
seasonable operation performed, to ascertain the fact
of his death, without undressing, and to be wraPP.A
in one of the sheets of his bed. Prayers to be guile
over his corpse, near which two priests shall attena,_
and be relieved by others, but to remove him 6°
speedily as possible to his burial place without ant
decorations or uniform. His daughter to cause 1,',1
low masses to be said in Paris, and requested tilt
no search should be made for his papers until eight
days after his death, and that seals should be
on his depositories. One of the testamentary' PaPeod
was headed thus—" The happiness of doing g°,
consoles a good man:' Another commenced thus
" I commend my soul to God, and, having lived
an honest man, I hope in his mercy, having ell",
,
endeavoured to do good;" and in another—" I ,
Clare, in this solemn hour, I have a pure conscience'
By his death this country is saved the further PP:
ment of 50,0001. per annum, the Marquis having
purchased, with half a million sterling, annuities a
that amount on his own life in the National Debt
Government Annuity Office, Old Jewry, Land°
one quarter (12,5001.) being claimed by his WI
cutors.

- -
STARTLING FACTS.—The Lincoln Mercury Isis d
" The practice of taking opium, laudanum,
ether, amorphia, has increased, and is increasing, amongstte
population of the fens of Cambridgeshire and Line()
shire to a frightful extent. It obtains amongst the ait:,t
the infirm, and the young, and it is confined ton U
sex—old men, old women, and young women ars
its victims. It may be safely averred that every Oro,
customer who visits the druggist's purchases opt'
laudanum, or some opiate or narcotic, whilst vier'
co.
second customer of the grocer is a purchaser of tobsc
It is common to see the man or woman of 20, 30, or
years, with cadaverous countenance, tottering frsol".
and palsied step, daily going for his or her sixpolli
worth of peison; and we have heard of
201. in one family for opium and laudanum! In thoi
to of Wiibeach alone there are 400Igallons oflaudatiu
sold and swallowed every year; eight gallons .13„
laudanum per week, one small shop actually vendt
two gallons of this quantity! The aPothefratirks
practice is thus a lucrative one in the fens. `.
away the laudanum retail trade, and the druggldsed
occupation is gone—it is the staple of the trade. /`4106
to this frightful consumption of laudanum, th,ered, $
1,128,780 gallons of beer, and 20,500 gallons of 51.-40-13
spirits, consumed annually in Wisbeach. To Lasil,ll„- ;
ture the one and to vend the other, there are no ie-9
rs
than 2 misters, 12 brewers, 9 wholesale dea.e--.i.
ardent spirits, 48 innkeepers, and 45 Tom and Jeri:tie,
yearly bills of.
As if this were was not enough to vitiate the apPel!te,
or rather to satisfy the cravings of a vitiated apPetl,
there is to be added to the catalogue the fact of the 11
being 170 persons retailing tobacco. To counteract i"„
this laudanum, beer, and spirit swallowing, and tobac.c:
inhaling, there are 70 dealers in coffee and tea, with
two coffee-houses, nicknamed temperanco hotels."

BIRTII3.
On the 24th inst., at the Royal Clarence Baths, vne onpo..Pt,
the wife of Edward Prothero, Esq., A.D.C., of a son.
On the 19th inst., at Stonehouse, Plymouth, Mrs. C. Litrig..
ton Massingberd, of a daughter. alit
On the 18th inst., at Dover Castle, the lady of Lielltell
King, 59th Regiment, of a son.
_.....-0"

ALARJUSD.
On the 23d inst., at Chevening Church, Kent, Sir Charlei
Henry Ibbetson, Bart., of Denton Park, Yorkshire, to Ede
widow of Percival Perkins, Esq., late of Usworth-Pw'''
Durham.

On the 24th inst., at Great Yarmouth, Sir George Parket
K.C.8., Admiral of the Red, aged 81.
On the 21st inst., at Blackheath, Mrs. Ann Collins, A--
to 0
Ely-place, Holborn, aged 66.
On the 23d inst., at Ashford, Kent, William Jemmett, Est
On the 23d inst., Ashford-court, near Ludlow, Cherie'
Walker, Esq., justice of the peace and Deputy-Lieutenant Of
the county of Salop, aged 75.
On the 24th inst., Abraham Herbert, Esq., of Stoke neat
Coventry. aged 75.
On the 24th inst., at Craven-street, Strand, hfr.Bdirsra
Taylor, aged 68.
On the 24th inst., Benjamin Adam, Esq., of Lower FA
monton, aged 80.
On the 25th inst., at Stamford-hill, Emily, the wife of Y'
Hanbury, Esq., aged 51.
On the 22d of October, at Stanley, Hong. Kong, Lieutenant
William Tyrwhitt Drake, of the Ceylon Rifles, aged 24.

London: Printed and Published by 11URDO YOUNG►I'
No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sux Office,
Ko-
Strand. in• the Precinct of the Savoy. it' the lowa'''
iiidgOilas Monday, Pemba 17, Is4f.

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