CALCUTTA: PAST AND PRESENT
curious document in connection with one of these occasions is "Lord Clive's bill of 1st January, 1766," which was passed and paid in the Proceedings of the Calcutta Board in February of the same year. Clive had concluded a treaty with Shuja-ul-Dowlah, Nawab Vizier of Oude, by which the East India Company obtained the Dewanny of the three provinces of Bengal, Behar, and Orissa, and his bill of expenses ran as follows:—
Charges for building and fitting up an assembly house with furniture for celebrating the late peace concluded with Shuja-ul-Dowlah |
Rs. 4,853 An. 7 Pies. 3 |
Expense of feeding wild beasts and making a place for them to fight in |
384 14 3 |
Charges paid for fireworks on this occasion |
12,179 8 0 |
Sundry presents to the keepers of the wild beasts, etc. |
2,426 15 3 |
Expenses of three public entertainments |
3,927 2 6 |
Paid for liquors |
5,451 9 0 |
29,223 8 3 |
This celebration took place in Oude, and had more of the character of native rejoicings. In Calcutta "wild beasts" formed no part of any of the entertainments, in which, however, fireworks were generally introduced as a show which could be enjoyed by the populace at large. The Calcutta Gazette of January, 1803, gave a detailed account of the elaborate illuminations and fireworks which formed part of a grand fête, the
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