CHAPTER VIII.

THE NAUTCH."

"Around the necks of the nymphs who danced, Hung carcanets of Orient gems, that glanced More brilliant than the sea-glass, glittering o'er, The hills of crystal on the Caspian shore."

Lallah Rookh.

AFTER a princely dinner given next day by the hospitable Resident to a large party, chiefly composed of military officers, amongst whom was Staunton, and which included likewise a few ladies of the cantonment, we repaired to the splendid portico,-supported by Corinthian pillars, and flanked on either side by a sculptured sphynx of enormous dimensions, — leading to a noble flight of marble steps, which constituted the principal entry of the Resident's palace near Hyderabad.

At the foot of these steps, by the light of innumerable torches, were now assembled a strange and motley group of natives, on horse

back and on foot; intermingled with magnificently-caparisoned elephants; some furnished with canopied howdahs, for the accommodation of the ladies, others with large stuffed pads, covered with cloth of crimson and gold.

These sagacious animals crouched obediently on the ground, at the command of their respective "mahouts" or keepers, and in this posture were mounted by the Resident's numerous guests.

As this strange nocturnal procession moved off, followed and preceded by a large escort of those wild-looking irregular troops, composed. of Seikhs, Arabs, and Pathans: all foot soldiers armed with matchlock, sword and shield, whom the Nizam kept constantly in his service (though not always in his pay); a splendid retinue of well-mounted "Souwars" or horsemen, caracolled to and fro amongst the crowd, on their high-mettled, fiery steeds; the light of the torches flashing vividly at times, on gilded pennon and polished spear-head, burnished shield, or bright coat of mail.

"Such was the wild and miscellaneous host,

That high in air their motley banners toss'd,"

and which realised a scene novel and brilliant

in the extreme; and such as after reading an Eastern tale we are often apt to picture to our minds, as characteristic of Oriental scenes and life.

Thus accompanied, we traversed the parklike grounds by which the Residency is surrounded, and soon reached the rocky banks of the Moussa at times a raging torrent, but then placidly creeping in shallow channels through a wide and sandy bed, occasionally broken, as the glare of the torches discovered them to view, with huge masses of detached and isolated rock.

A little alarm was here, audibly exhibited by some of the fair occupants of the towering howdahs, as the elephants after descending the steep bank leading to the bed of the river, heavily splashed through the shallow water, and next scrambled up the opposite declivity.

Then a sudden display of fireworks, illumined as with the broad glare of day, the high crenellated walls of the city; -overtopped at this spot by garden-houses, cupolas, and kiosks, blended with the tall stems and drooping leaves of cocoa-nut trees and other palms, and displaying momentarily between their graceful foliage, the bold and lofty minars of the "Mecca

Mestjid," which towered above confused masses of trees and building, lit up for a second by the fire-works, and next instant enveloped in the surrounding gloom.

This was the first time I ever had an opportunity of witnessing the interior of the city of Hyderabad; and although daylight would no doubt have been more desirable to form a distinct idea of what I then beheld; still the interest of the scene was greatly enhanced by the nature of our nocturnal entrée into so remarkable a place; and one of those few localities still extant in India, where the strict observance of Oriental customs continues to be maintained; and where the spectator may almost fancy himself revelling amidst scenes, such as described in those charming Eastern tales, commemorative of the times and adventures of Haroun-el-Rashid or Aaron the Just and Wise.

As we wended our devious way through dense bazaars; along narrow, unpaved lanes, sometimes leading between tall buildings, occasionally diversified with graceful Moorish pillars and arches, or the close trellis-work devised by Oriental jealousy; at others, bordered by high garden walls, over which waved.

in the night-breeze many a fragrant and graceful tree and shrub: all this, as beheld by the pale and fitful torchlight glare,—our novel mode of conveyance, and the strange-looking turbaned groups around,-all these sights conjured up a sort of illusive mirage on the excited imagination; I began almost to fancy myself transported to those Eastern scenes, so vividly described by Lallah Rookh, and it would have required but little stretch of fancy to create a momentary identification of one's self, with some hero of those charming Oriental tales, engaged on a nocturnal expedition in the purlieus of Haleb, El Kahirah, or Bagdad!

Our ultimate destination was the magnificent abode of Shums-ul-Oomrah : - meaning literally the "Sun, or effulgence, of the Nobles:" -who, to celebrate the high honour of his union with a daughter of the Nizam, had given the entertainment to which we had now the good fortune to be invited as honoured guests; a well-timed display of civility manifested towards the British Resident, either by the crafty old Hindoo minister, Chundoo-Lall, or his Mahomedan brother-in-office Mounier-ul-Moolkh.

Our procession, after advancing through a considerable portion of the most populous parts