Pennant, Thomas: The view of Hindoostan (Band 2) (London, 1798)

68 EASTERN HINDOOSTAN.

lonel Maxwell^ about eleven at night. In an inftant the whole
Blue Lichts, environs were illuminated by the blue ligbts fufpended from
the raraparts, as cuftomary with the Indians. The material
ufed by them is no other than the antient Naptba, remarkable
for its extreme inflammability. The antients had two forts, the
white and the black*, both liquid, and were ufed in lamps.
Every fortified place in Hindooßan has its walls befet with
branched irons ready to receive the pendent ligbts, which give
an uncommon degree of fplendor. They might ferve to illumi-
* nate the infernal council-chamber, or to facilitate a midnight
flaughter. How completely does the effect anfwer to the fine
defcription given by Milton of the illumination of the Pandemo-
nium, to which the horrors of the night of afiault might, by
the caufe, give to the iimile greater aptnefs»

From the high walls*
Pendent by fubtile magic, many a row
Of ftarry lamps and blazing creflets, fed
With Naptha and Afphaltus^ yielding light
As from a fky 1

The thunder of the artillery, the noife of the mufquetry,
the fanguinary fhouts of the aiTailants, and the groans and
fhrieks of the dying, added horrors to the terrible fcene. The
garrifon fled from the mercilefs foldiery, and part choaking up
the paffage of the oppofite gate, left multitudes like a herd of
timorous goats or flocks expofed to refiftlefs carnage. The

• Strabo, lib. xvi. p. 1078. Alfo Plin. Nat. Hill, Mb. ü. c, 105.

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