Morning journal and courier., 1884-05-17
one had engaged, who explained everything

i 4
by way of echo to the fortunate one.
would repeat fsrociousIy ''Ohulew. chulow, u
ego along'D and for a time that would seem
to disperse the crowd but a moment later
when we turned a corner, there they would
be again as If by accident. II was very dis
couraging. I actually caught one of them
| shutting door ahead of us once, in order
that he might open it for me when I arrived
| there, and thus seem to do a service !
| Another plucked some beautiful double rose
| buds and offered them to me by way of a
| clincher, the while smiling and bowing in the
| most disgustipgly serv1ls fashion. There
| we're two hoary-headed old men, regular pa
triarchs they were, who followed me all the
| way around, despite all that I could do
/ Once or twice went up to them, rammed
my nose right into their faces, and pointed
| aft, the while frewning furiously; but their
meekness and their grey hairs made me re-
| lent, and finally bestowed two annas apiece
| upon them Give cents This was equivalent
| to days wages each, and they trembled
| with joy as they accepted it and blessed me
i in Hindostanee. This made me feel cheap
and guilty at first, but the ultimate effect is
always of q different sort. I always feel
i guilty in the end because [ have bestowed
| money where it had not been earned, and
thus served to encourage this outrageous
bncksheesh system -z--.
| The wonders of the fort approached the
beauty of the Tai. There were the Dewau-
| lam, or public judgment seat, and the De-
| wanikhas, or hall of private audience, con-
| strucsed after the elaborate Sarscenic art
/ In the former was a solid slab of pure white
marble about six feet square, upon which
| Akbar used to sit. or SQUAT, when administer
ing justice. On an open terrace IN front OF
| the Oewanikhas was similar slab of black
| marble, which was occupied by the Emperor
on State occasions. Its surface Was marked
with two pinkish stains. The legend is that
| OF ce when the Mahrsttas took Agra the Ra-
| jah of Bhurtpore seated himself on this
throne, whereat blood gushed forth from it !;
and that second time when Lord Ellenbor
ough, Governor General of India, sat upon
it, the same phenomenon took place. 1 ven
tured to try the experiment myself of sit
| ting upon this slab, but no remarkable de-
monstration occurred whererpon I conclu
ded that not all great men have the power to
bring about this unnatural effect.
Near by discerned smaller white marble
throne, upon which, my guide informed me,
the kings jester was wont to sit and hold
mimic court The imperial palace proved to
be in good state of preservation. An in
crustation of precious stones lines this whole
residence, the jewels being disposed accord
ing TO exquisitely graceful designs. 1t is
very hard TO keep from picking out some of
these gems, for here and there loose one is
to be found Reason tells the tourist that he
becomes the enemy of mankind soon as
he seeks to remove a single relic, however
tiny; but in the ecstacy of his admiration he
will be sorely tempted to disregard the die
tates of req son.
One part of the palace was called the Shish
MAhal. This was the Bath of Mirrors, Or
Palace of GLASS;. series of subterranesn
chambers and apartments used by the royal
household for bathing purposes. never
a more tempting bath place The air |
was deliciously cool, the floors were marble, |
the walls covered with tiny mirrors cut so as |
to work cut fantastic patterns Water bub- |
bled up in marble tanks and glided through |
squeducts of the same precious material |
along the different corridors. Lastly there |
series of underground passages in |
which the females of the zenana used to play |
hide and seek before the Emperor, clad only |
in the habiIiments of our first parents.
But perhaps the crowning triumph of the |
fort, INTELLECTUALLY considered, is tho Mott |
Musjld, or Pearl Mosque which Mr.. Taylor |
denominates the pearl of all mosques II |
consists of loggia with a spacious court ad |
joining all in the purest white marble, such |
A7 cannot be procured to-day. The elegant |
simplicity of this temple. SO grandIy in keep |
ing with the sentiment that ought to inhabit |
a house of worship, has always called forth |
the warnest enthusiasm of travellers. Our |
own Christian architects have never ap
preached SO near the spirituelIe.
There is q bridge of boats that crosses the |
Jumma in this city, and near the further end /
from the river It is the Tomb of Itimad- |
ud-daulah. A white marble mausoleum fifty |
feet square and twelve fest high rests upon a |
spotIess marble platform. At each corner is |
superb marble tower forty feet high, |
crowned by marble kiosk. The tomb itself |
was constructed in 1923. and has consequent
IL fallen into decay in some places. In a
richly decorated apartment in the interior
under marble dome, lies the dust of the
man whom the mausoleum commentaries.
Close by the Union passenger depot is the
Jumma Musjid. almost conspicuous on the
right hand as the great fort is on the left.
OF course this Musjid is not near as large or
imposing as the real JuRma Musjid at Delhi
but it is nevertheless colossal structure. 1t
is built of red sandstone, with blocks of
black and white marble inlsid. The front,
which is 130 feet in width, is pierced by three
grand archways, the central one of \ b1ch is
over forty feet in width. There are three
great domes, and any quantity of cupolas
ranged in long roxs, The bold design and
immense proportions of this edihce are very
striking, although it will not bear that mi
mute and critical examination which may be
applied to most Of the Agra monuments.
There ara other wonderful structures, the
tomb of Akbar at Secundra, eight miles from
here, and the palatlal ruins of Fettehpore
Sikri known as the Windsor of Agra, some
twerty-four miles distant. In fact the whole |
country round about is full OF architectural |
wonders, which travellers are going to visit |
more and more in the future. Here Indian |
art hourished in all its eff1oresceuce, and our |
more advanced civilization has never eclipsed |
these pagan efforts. The tourist can only |
hope to have his curiosity stimulated, rather |
than satisfied, by a cursory examination of q |
few of the most accessible monuments.
But for the heat / should be tempted to |
stay longer. think last Saturday was the |
hottest day 1 ever experienced. 1 was riding |
in a railway carriage, and went to the lavsto4 |
ry for bath. 1 found the water SO hot that |
1 could only hold my hand in it for an in |
slant EMILE.
A Brokers' Panic.