Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-06

,nspafsls wsvks sf The n'shv Akbss East.
e~ Architecture ~ Zee Hishcss Dsvsiep.
meat.
A correspondent OF The philadelphia
Prose- writes from Agra (fnd.a) as follows
/ risked my reputation by critlcislng Be
mares and Lucknow, Now, let me make
afoncmcnt by equally honest eulogy OF
Agra. oh, could weep for the poverty
Il the English language when I approach
the ;ask Of describing The famous Tai Ma.
hsl. ] only know thai, ~ looked upon u
for the first time, felt The tears spriuglng
90 ny eyes In some unaccountable and un.
reasonable way and I almost echoed the
words OF certain woman who once looked
upon the Tai for the first time, and could
only saw, al would die tomorrow to have
such sno'hcr one built over my dust"
After passing through the magnificent
avenues and ascending TIE great platform,
you approach tho Tai proper. which Il 90
tagonai In form, she four sides which face
the cardinal points being each 1870 feet long,
snd the other four sides being much smaller.
Each angle terminates above In q slender
minAret Of exquisite proportions. Every
thing Is sade OF the finest Jcypore marble,
finely polished, and retaining all Of its
original color. The foof Is seventy feet
high nom the msrtie teYrsee, and expands
in the centre into noble dome Of marble,
seventy feet in diameter.
Ihis dome, which is visible TO such a
great distance from Agra, Is itseli 100 feet
in height, and when TO This is sdded the
height Of the building and the terraces, 4,
will appear that the gilt crescent at in apex
is go feet from the ground level. The elzb-
crate finish OF the marble must be seen 10
lie appreciated. II Is inlsid In the most
exquisite designs with black marble, Jas
per, coTnelisn. turquoise, agate, gsrnets,
rock spar, lotdstonc, ONYX. chsleedony,
mnethysi, and sspphlres. Besides the floral
traceTy thus ipwrsughs. there are passages
from the Korau. Indeed, It Is said thai the
whole Koran Is inlaid within or without
the stately structure. The color OF the Tai
differs, 1t is said, according to the state OF
the simos, here, sometimes appear ng
slightly roseaie, sometimes having deli
cafe blue OF light yellow tingo, and in the
moonlight assuming u ghostly white.
rosN IN MARBLE.
There Il grand entrance upon each
side. formed by q pointed arch, the key
stone Of which approaches the cornice.
There are slso two smaller arches. one
shove the other. on either side OF the mnu
arch, and two more on similar plan upon
each Of The four lesser sides OF the build
ing. There are also four graceful marble
cupolss grouped around the great dome,
one AZ each corner OF the building.
The tombs OF Shah Jebau, the famous
builder. and the humtaz Mahal, his favor
lie queen. 10 commemorate whose des,h he
had the Tel built, are in sarcophagi Of rare
beauty down in vault under the main
fool. Above the floor are duplicates In
tended for purposes Of display merely.
The great dome contains an echo that all
travellers OF note pronounce the finest In
the world, far exceeding in sweetness and
wealth Of resonance the famous echo in the
Baptistry II Pisa. OF this echo B4yard
Taylor has said something so neatly IS to
make me envious:
"a single musical note uttered BY the
voice floats snd scars overhead in long.
delicious uDdulstion, fading away 30
slowly that YOU bear it alter ii Is silent
NJ you see or seem 10 sec lark you hsye
teen watching after 1t Is swallowed up In
the blue vault q heaven"
MAMMOTH PORT.
But the fame OF Agra Is not based solely
upon the merits OF this one wonderful
building. As the train crosses the i'm
lnenss bridge over the Jumns snd slowly
enters The handsome depot, you notice
upon your left vast structure In red sand
stone, which you at once recognize as the
Agra Fort. / DO not profess to be fierce
wkTriOress, or even competent judge in
such matters. but feel safe in affirming
that this mighty monument OF pagan war
fare, built a crest many decades ago,
would compare iavorably with any OF our
more advanced specimens Of the same sort.
II challenges admiration, NOT only for It's
msjostic pictureQueness, but also for Its
immense strength. The walls are sixty
feet in height. with srenolated btttlemsEts
above and frequent turrets. The outer
rampant and rsvelin which once surround.
cd the fort have yielded - the growth OF
the CITY; but the inner moat, some thirty
feet wide and paved with stone, romans
unchanged.
There are two gates: but the ono open
ing to the north, the Delhi gate, !, the one
always selected BY tourists. 1t is lanksd
by two monster Oriental towers, which l
admire anew every time pass by them. A
long stone ascent leads up to spacious
courtyard enclosed by arcades, which
your guide tells yeu WAS formerly the
cnrouszl or tilt yard. On one side is the
famous Dewaniam, the public judgment
hall Of the mighty Akbar, and Just beyond
IL The Dewanikhas, or private hail OF
audience.
TIE PEARL HosQsE.
Adjacent to the Dewaniam stands the
Mott Musiid. or Pearl Mosque. The blue
sky 10 the roof OF its court, while spotless
white marble composes the floor aud the
four sides. Here sgain the archi-
lecture ID Ssracenic, though singularly sim
pie and free from orDamentstion. The
great white court opens into the corridor
under the dome by means Of triple row
a arches. The absence Of anything that
can possibly SAVIOR OF ima9e-worsbip is
most pleasing feature OF these mosques.
A simple marble platform and steps. tho
whole not four feet square. ald silver
plate. containing few flowers, cOnsti-
tU;ed the entire furniture 0. this large au-
ditOrium.
Nothing can he more chastely beautiful
than this plain marble chamber. bslieve
Mr.. Taylor remarked. after seeing il, that
be felt BUNDLED because, as a Christlsn, be
bad TO reflect that his religion had never
inspired Its architects 10 surpass this tenn.
PIE TO God and Mohammed. Others may
have felt the same EQUALIZATION. Theirs is
DbAuiiui
about this open-air worship Of the Mo-
bammedsns in the East, looking upon It as
a religious pageant simply. This pearl
mosque was also built by Shah Jehan, OF
TAI fame, in the year 1856.
AKBAR's IMPARTIAL PALACE.
il remained 20 visit the Imperial Palace.
From room to room we wandered, dazed
At each new revelation OF heather taste.
Most Of the apartments were inlaid In the
rich style OF the FloreDtine mosaic. The
pavilions oyerhanging the river Jumns
were especially beautiful. What could
be more charming than 10 sit in
81 aerial bsy-wicow hundred feet
above the water in one OF the sweet
est little windows that ever was, and
gpze OF at that mirscle OF marble. the
ever new Tai. in full view about mile
down the river. Who shall tell OF the
illustrates OF almost transparent marble,
the inlaid blossoms OF comedian with
blood.stone leaves, the glittering Jasper,
agate aud lspis-lzul, the gilt-capped
white domesi Certainly not /, till somo
fire dcseends from above which shall in
spire me 10 the superhumsn task. Come
and see for yourself.
Our guide next went for the keys and
unlocked a door leading into series OF
siibterranesn chambers, known a. the Shlsh
Mshab. or Palace OF Glass.
The Bath OF Mirrors would be little