Litchfield enquirer., 1857-12-03
Description of Delhi.

description OF Delhi.
AS the fate of England's Indian empire is
to all appearance involved in the successful re-
sIstance or capture of this city, the ancient
capital of the Patan or Mogul dynasties-a
decription OF it may not be unacceptable to
our readers.
Since the writer penned this article, Delhi
has fallen into the hands of the English. A
description of it, however, will be none the
less interesting to Our readers ON that account
He goes on to say
We have heretofore compiled from the most
reliable sources the following interesting sketch
Ct it -
The city of Delhi is situated in the center
Of long sandy plain, upon rocky rltge,
rising to all altitude Of one hundred and tweu-
ty feet on the right of tire Juma, here dep
and broad river at all seasons Of the year.
Nine hundred and iiity-siX miles from Calcutta
by the Birbhuln road and eight hundred and
eighty miles from Bombay by Ahmedabad.
According to tradition, this city was founded
three hundred years before Christ, by Deln.
1t formerly stood on lie left bank of the river.
aud is supposed to have covered a space OF
twenty quare miles. Major Renell mentions
three millions, as the number OF inhabitants
which Delhi was supposed to have contained
Ut the end of the 18th century and the ex
tent of the ruins seems to justify this estl-
mate. TIE Emperor Shah Jehan built a new
city in 1851 on the right bank of the Junla,
and gave it the name Of ShabJehansbod, by
which only the Moslrm part of the popula-
ton continue to call it. This is the modern
Delhi, which is abont five miles in circumfe
renee, and is seated Oh range of rocky hills
and surrounded Ivy walls constructed OF large
blocks of grey granite, and fortified with a
mood loopholed parapct. Several gateways
and baStons occur in the walls at intervals,
and the whole has been strengthened and put
in repair by the British government. The gate
way are magnificent buildings, and are named
after the provinces and cities to which they
point. The city has seven gates, and contains
the remains of several fine palaces, the former
dwellings, OF the chief omrabs of the empire.
These palaces are each of considerable OK.
tent and surrounded by high walls enclosin"
baths, stabilng ard numerous outbuIldings
The modern city contains many good houses
,h,.atlV brick and Of various styles of architcc-
1ure The streets are in general narrow, as in
other Eastern cities, but the principal ones,
Bishop H-ber says, are really wide, handsome,
and for an Asatic city remarkably clean and
the bazaars have good appearance. There
are too fine streets, one called the Chauderry
clock, ninety feet broad and one thousand five
hundred yards long the other one hundred
and twenty feet wide and one mile long. Down
the middle of the first of these streets runs al
aqneduct, which is shaded by fine trees and
supplied with water from Ali Meridian khan's
canal. Tie other streets are narrow, but con
tam many good brick houses The crowd OF
an Indian city, always picturesque, is here
particularly rich i'll snowy figures of men and
animals.
Elephants, camels and horses, gaily capar-
soted parade through the streets, iingling
their silver ornaments and the many colorcd
tufts and fringes with which they were adorned
The suaca1 RI of a great parsonage sweeping
along the highways, little scrupulous of the
damage it may effect in its progress forms a
striking spectacle, whcn it can be viewed from
u safe corner, or from the top of tall ele-
plant. The coup d all is magnificent, but to
enter into detail might destroy the illusion
for mingled with mounted retaincrs, clothed
and armed with glittcrng helmets, polished
spears and shields knobbed with silver--crowds
of Withholding, half-clad wretches on foot are
to be seen, increasing the tunult and the dust,
but adding nothing to the splendor of the cav
acade. No great man-and Delhi is full of
personages OF pretenson-ever passes along
in state without having his titles shouted out
by the steDtorian lungs of some of bis follow
CrS
The cries of the vendors of different articles
of food-thc dlScordant songs of itinerant M u
sicians, screamed ont to the accompaniment OF
the tom tom with an occasional bass volunteer
by cheetab, grumbling out in G sharp roar
his annoyance at being h"whcd about the
street for sale with the distresstul shrill cry of
the camel, the trumpetings of the elephant,
the neighing of horses and the rulnbiing Of
cart-wheels, are sounds which assail the ear
from snnrise to sunset in the streets Of Delhi.
The multitude Of equipages is exceedingly
great, and more diversified, perhaps, than those
OF any other city in the world. English car
rages, altered and improved to suit the eli
mate, and the particular taste Of the posses
sor, are mingled with the paanquns and bull
lock carts, open aid covered, the chairs, and
the cage-ke conveyances of native construc-
ton.
There are several fine mosques in Delhi, III
very good preservation, with high minarets and
gilded domes. The largest of these, the jun
ma Murjid, was bailt by Shah Johan. It is a
splendid ard an enormous edfcc, built Oh
white marble and rcd granite, and is consld-
cred the largest and han,lsomest place OF Mus
su'man worship in India. bishop H"hcr