In the evening, the town, or rather, the public buildings, were illuminated.

The proprietors of private houses are not required to light up; and they either avail themselves of their privilege, or at most, hang out a few lanterns--a fact which will be readily understood, when it is known that such illuminations last for six or eight days.

The public buildings, on the contrary, are covered from top to bottom with countless lamps, which look exactly like a sea of fire.
The most original and really amusing fetes to celebrate the christening of the princess, were those given on several evenings in some of the barracks: even the emperor himself made his appearance there for a few moments on different occasions.

They were also the only fetes I saw here which were not mixed up with religious solemnities.

The sole actors in them were the soldiers themselves, of whom the handsomest and most active had previously been selected, and exercised in the various evolutions and dances.