The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-03-20

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nifcent gold and silver embroidered canopy.
supported at the corners BY silver pillars
And beneath these were the fombs Of
Mohamed Allie Shah and his mother.
During the great Mohamedan festival this
tomb is gorgeously illuminated The
entire exterior walls are covered with iron
backets, which hold thousands of lifflc
lamps King Mohamed began near his
present tomb what was to have been 4
seyen-storied tower, a Babel from which
he might look down upon the great Baby
lon that he had built, but, somewhat re-
sembling its historic prototype, IL only
reached the fourth story, and has never
been added to since.
This king also began the erection Of a
fine mosque, which wis completed after
his death at an expenditure Of over two
millions Of dollars. At its gate there are
rules, printed in English, which state that
staneers are permitted to enter at certain
bours, but they must either remove their
shoes or walk upon pieces Of carpet which
will be spread for them by the attend
ants. That Musselmen are enjoined by
their religion TO remove their sandals at
the gate Of mosque, reminds one Of Gods
command to Moses from the burning bush:
Put of thy shoes from of thy feet; for
the place whereon thou standest i holy
ground" In the centre Of the mosaus.
beneath the largest dome, every mosque
has three,) was the marble pulpit from
which the priest reads the Koran. The
walls were covered with choice Arabic and
Persian extracts from the doctrines and
precepts Of Mohamed
Returning to Cawnpore continued my
journey on to Agra, which was once the
Mozal capital Of India. The section Of
country through which we passed was
devoid Of any noteworthy scenes. At
Toondla Junction we changed cars and
reached Agra after ride of thirteen miles,
or one hundred and iifty-fye miles il all
from the Cawnpore station. About half a
mile before reaching the Jumna river /
spied the world-famous Tai Mahal, which
rose majesticalIy high above the surround
ing plain. At FIRST sight its dome appear
ed little too large for graceful and per-
feet proportion, but this was probably
owing to the disadvantageous point from
which my view was taken. We crossed
the river upon bridge Of iron buoys. To
our left stood the massive fort Of Agra,
containing the palace of the Emperor
Akbar and the beautiful pearl mosque,
whose three domes Of white marble ap-
pear like silvery bubbles which have rested
moment on its walls, and which the next
breeze must sweep away, and upon the
right was the Jumna Musjid But very
little Of the city is visible from the river !;
indeed Agra, compared with most other
Indian cities, might be called small, the
last census giving but one hundred and
forty-two thousand inhabitants,
The fort Of Agra, built in the sixteenth
century by the Emperor Akbar, and whose
walls surround nearly two miles Of uneven
ground, is filed with old palaces and mos
ques and modern barracks and arsenals.
Though the walls are seventy feet in height,
and are built of brick and faced with blocks
Of sandstone, mud fort would probably
stand greater amount Of canonading. A
moat, thirty feet deep, and supplied with
water from the Jumna, still exists, as also
do two Of ''the triple walls frowning, one
above the other,r which originally formed
a part Of the fortress. Having crossed
the medieval drawbridge long and crook
ed stone ascent passing through several
gates, the last aanked by two lofty towers,
leads 70 large courtyard. Formerly this
fort was divided into three courts or sec
tions :--in the FIRST resided the guards, IN
the second the officers and civil dignita-
riss, and in the third, which comprises the
side toward the Jumna river, stood the
palaces, baths, seragIios and gardens. But
at the present day the fortress is occupied
by English troops and the old Dewan-isum
or judgement seat Of the Emperor Akbar