The New York herald., 1869-06-28
INDIA.

Hsnp-DoscriptiOn OF tine Diaus0ieuul-Indlan
Hsfei Keepers-An Oriental Flower Show
Tho Women Of the Enst-Ornnments and
Costumes-palnce Of Akbar-The Zennna-
Departure.
AGRA. April Is, 1869.
We came through from Cawnpore at night in
order to see the Tai by full moon. night earlier
would have been too soon, and night later would
have been too late We reached Agra at four O'Clock
In the morning and, without waking the porter at
the hotel left our luggage and drove directly to the
Tai We did not want the company OF a chattering
ccerone to guide US to the tomb 1t stood out clear
and bright in the moonlight two miles distant. 1t
was not the chaste silver moon northern latitudes
but the full, voluptuous, lustrous, amber-colored
moon OF India, with the three intense burning
like fame upon the band OF Orion. The stiffness OF
silence was upon the face OF when arrived
at the entrance to the enclosure. The night insects
had sung themselves to sleep and the morning birds
had not begun their carols. The PAIN trees stood
still and seemed as If they were lnlaid upon the sky
The expresses were as silent as II they were mourn
ing over the earth. The guide book says
lofty red sandstone walls With urre.s al the angles AND
en to s n ee o % s
principal gateway noble structure in red sandstone most
Koran Passing through the gateway the lrst view Of the
I1 Obtained a. the END Of long paved pathway shaded by
Is basin with Fountain and row Of s d'eau carried
laid with stately trees shrubs lower BEDS and kept
In good order at the expense of government
In the midst Of these grounds rises the Tai Mahal,
the great architectural wonder OF Agra and OF India.
What is this wonderful structuref Has star fallen
from the armament and crystalized in the form Of
the habitatiOns OF the cherubm and seraphim to
hibit to mortal eyes model OF the mansions OF the
blessed? Have the sea fairies gathered the pearls
and corals and gems Of the Indian Ocean and fash
ioned submarine structure OF exquisite beauty and
waited it up the sacred to rest upon the banks
OF its most beautiful alluent as mod Il to man OF
the coraline palaces in which the kings lay the
beautiful mermaids to sleepS No; supernatural
structure though 1t seems, it Is nevertheless the
creation OF mortal hands; but Its inspiration was
immortal. 1t was inspired by immortal love. 1t
was built by Shah Jehan "a descendent of the great
Tamerlanel in honor OF his beautiful wife, Moor
Jehan (the light of the world who was niece of the
celebrated Moor Mahal the light of the harem) in
Lala RoOkh. These Tartar women must have been
beautiful, indeed, to have inspired such passions.
In eighteen centuries the Christian world has built
no such monument in honor OF the beati0ed mother
OF the Saviour of Mankind. The chosen people of
God have left no such monument any of the
daughters of Israel. The Egyptian Queen had many
noble lovers but neither Caesar nor Antony, with all
the treasures of Rome have left such monument
10 the Enchantress OF the Nile. Grecan marble i'm
Grecian love. Roman history perpetua,es the virtue
of Roman ladies in the Latin language. but tire Sara.
writes the story OF his love in enduring marble,
ntelliglbe to all nations and to all ages. In no
western land has marble been plastic to the tails
man OF love- Only here, under this burning Indian
sun, shaded by the palm and the cypress, has the
great human heart swelled to maturity with the
divine passion ana burst in expanding It's devotion.
1t Is poem of love written In marble and ilumi-
mated with precious stones.
We walked about the marble pavements under the
cypress trees and by the flower BEDS taking a look
at the TAI from different angles, until the moonlight
faded out before the approaching sun, and In the
nterregnum the palm branches began to stir with
the morning breeze and the birds began TO sing in
the cypress trees. The sun rose up over palm
grove the distance like Shield OF molten copper.
few lazy keepers began to crawl from their hiding
places about the enclosure, and the two American
visitors the Tai walked away as quietly as they
had come.
Monsieur Beaumont does not keep a very good
hotel but he keeps the best hotel in Agra lie Is an
OLD Frenchman and has large family. He has been
In India long time and would not know Paris now
II he were to return. Indian landlords never speak
to their guests and their guests never have chance
to speak to them The hotel is generally attended by
native servants who do not understand word OF
English and who neither know how to cook nor
serve anything. IL was, therefore, necessarily
work of time and patience to get rooms, bath and
breakfast at Monsieur Beaumonts hotel.
We returned to the TAI about noon ana found the
shade OF the gardens pleasant retreat from the
mondays sun. A great many carts were at the en-
trance and hundreds OF natives were engaged in
carrying flower pots INTO the gardens. we learned
tnat there would be a flower show tomorrow. when ZEN
premiums in the gardens OF the Tai.
The tomb is raised on platform Of red sandstone,
1000 feet long, fronting ON the river Junna by $50
feet In width in the garden On this platform ter
race of white marble Is laid, $50 leet square. In the
centre of this terrace the beautiful structure Is
erected in the shape OF an irregular octagon, occu-
pying square OF 1856 feet. AT tue corners OF the
marble platform are four guardian mnarets each
1913 ieet in height and beautifully proporConed.
Entering the marble doors OF the tomb you are
under the dome, which Is 40 feet high and 80 feet
in diameter, the crescent tipped spre being 800
feet above the basement. In the centre OF
the marble rotunda, Immediately under the
marble screen wrought In trellis work and inlad
with vines bearing flowers initiated In precious
stones, fresh and natural that you look for the
dew and smell for the perfume The festoons of in
laid flowers represent the iris. lotus, tulip and other
rich coors OF India, and are made OF cornelian.
agate, bloodstone, lapis laZul and carbunces. In
side Of this marble screen are the sarcophagi OF
Shah Jehan and Moor Jehan, their actual tombs
being In the basement underneath. The tombstones
are Of pure white marble, prousely inlad with
wreaths Of flowers In precious stones and covered
with inscriptions from the Koran .inlaid in black
The tombs were spread with roses, jasmine and
sweet flowers from the garden, yleiulng an atar Oh
fragrance through the rotunda. The walls, the gal
eres the cornces the arches OF the acoves and the
windows were all hung with vines and flowers, in
laid with marble and precious stones and Inscribed
with verses from the Koran. 1t Is said that
In the inscriptions inlaid in marble upon this
building every verse In the Koran has been
copied. The echo under the marble dome has been
compared to the harmonies OF Paradise. Bishop
IeDer atfirms 1t to surpass anything In Europe. n
Patti, Nilsson or any OF our western nghtingaes
could sing under this marble dome the eye would
nstinouyey turn TO the alcoyes In the cornce to see
n angels were peering over TO carry the sweet
strains OF music to PARADISE. The building was
completed In 1890 by the lavish expenditure OF mill
lions of treasure and the labor OF 10000 workmen
for twenty-five years. 'They built like giants and
finished like goldsInitns.n
We returned again TO the Tai that night couple
OF gentlemen were wandering about the marble
walks, comparing views by moonlight. They had
come from England; we from America; but the
same object had brought US together In the shade