“ Then the noise became terrific, the reports of guns and crackers were almost deafening, which increased as a gleam of silver tinged the outer rim of the dimmed goddess. Slowly the shadow passed away, the light growing brighter and brighter, the great, dragon Asura Rahu, that had attempted to swallow the moon, had been driven away and it again shone in all of its brilliancy, but soon faded away before the corruscations of the coming dawn. ”

“ At some great Siamese ceremonies one may see an enormous serpent or dragon, made of lamps, ingeniously joined together, and borne about by a number of men, intended to represent Rabu chasing the moon. Conversing with some of the leading Princes in regard to this legend, they smilingly remarked that the ceremonies now attending the eclipse was but the more keeping up of an ancient custom, like the western nations hanging up stockings for St. Nicholas to fill with sweets; that the belief in the dragon Rahu of Siam was but a myth, as was that of St. George and the dragon of Britain. ”

“ A shadow had just fallen upon the surface of the queen of night, slowly if spread over it until the face of the great luminary was covered, and it hung in the cloudless heavens an orb of roseate hue, its radiance all gone. ”