The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-01-24
A WONDERFUL SHOW,
BY THOMAS T. BLAKE.

It was in 1s4a, 1 being at Lahore Mt
the time, in the Hon. East India Com.
pany's service, that Lorn Dalhousie, the
dovernor-General of British India
visited the court of Runjeet Singh at
Lahore; and, in honor of his arrival. n
series of magnificent entertainments was
given by the Maharajah and his nobility
One OF the most remarkable, to Euro
peans at least, was that which took place
on October II, and at which the writer
was present Immediately after the day.
light gun had been fired, the Khales, Or
regular, troops of Run jeet assembled on
. wide plan (maidaun6 just outside the
city gates, under the commands of Ven
tura, Allard and the other French and
Italian officers who had disciplined
them, extending in long lines of infan.
Try and artillery (golundauze), and
thanked or supported by clouds of irrepu-
Jar cavalry, Afghans, Pathanus and
beloochees; mingled with bodies of
Sikh horsemen, clad in chain armor and
bearing, in addition to lances and sabers.
quoits of sharpened steel ornsniented
with gold. Amidst the thunder of
cannon and the bare of trum ets. "the
old lion of the Pun aub," mounted an
an enormous elephant and accom-.
panied by Lord Dalhousie, with nu-
merous staff Of Europeans, reviewed the
vast multitude which marched and
contaminated before him. After the
mlntary maneuvers had concluded and
.tps troops had been dismissed to their
quarters, the Maharajah and Governor
General proceeded to the "Shalemar
Gardens,"' where grand banquet tcurra
khonna) had been prepared for their re.
eeptlon. The "Shalemar Gardens" are
situated at some distance from the civ
OF Lahore, and were adorned with eyery
device that the most skilled architects
could imagine to enhance their natural
beauty; they were the favorite resort of
the Mogul Emperors, and over their en-.
trance Is engraved the verse which
ploore, IN h,s Lalla Rookh, quotes:
AND, oh, if there be an Elysium on earth.
1t is this; it is this"
The banquet was given in spacious
court, surrounded on three sides by lofty
buildings, from the lattices Ct which the
ladies OF the Zenana could view, unseen,
the festivities; and long tables were sup.
Piled with every dclicacy, prepared in
European fashion for Lord Dalhousie
and his suite, whilst Runject and his
courtiers toasted in Oriental style. To
the Sikhs wine is not forbidden, so the
celebrated vintage of Schiraz circulated
freely, as well as claret, champagne, and
the Briton's favorite beverage, pale ale
and b. d. 81; while the smoke of
hookahs and MANILA cheroots arose
in thick clouds when the dishes had
been removed and rose water and betel
nuts (pan sooparee) handed round to the
guests. Then troop of Nautch girls
appeared, and their graceful figures
fioated in and out in the may evolu.
lions OF the shawl dance, while some of
their companions chanted in shrill tones
"the loves CT Lula and Mainoonn to the
accompaniment OF tom-toms aud vinas
drums and guitars). When the dancers
bad Withdrawn court official stepped
forward and announced that ''now we
should see some wonderful things tu-
msnsha)." 1t mast be remembered that
there was no stage with its possibilities
OF trap doors and mechanical contri-
vances-nothing but the marble pave
ment OF the courtyard, whilst countless
lamps and torches shed their brilliant
light on every corner Then into the
open space in front of us came three ma
tives, wearing only the cummerbund, or
waist-cloth, and went through some ex-
traordinary feats of balancing and
sleight- hand, too numerous to par
ticularize; then the ''mango trick" was
performed In most accomplished way,
and the tree sprang up, blossomed and
bore fruit. Next the oldest of the per-
formers stood forth and produced
coil OF thick cord having a piece
of lead attached to the end; this
he whirled rapidly around his
head, and then, losing his grasp, the
weight shot rapidly upward, bearing
with it the liue, which ran out until only
the extreme end remained. There be.
fore our eyes hung the cord, apparently
suspended from some invisible support,
and the performer. calling to one of his
assistants ordered him to go up and see
what held it. The other man at first
demured. alleging that the cord could
not support his weight, but finally,