The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-07-26

the prayers for the dead.
"A iltte later he began the construc-
tion OF this temple and tomb, employ
ING an Itaflan architect to make lac
designs, The work was begun within
Two years alter the death of Muntaz
Mahal, and for TWENTY-FIVE wears 20
WV "ofkmen were daily employed
upon its construction. Their labor was
forced, and they received only their
1000 Tor their pay, and Of that they
were cheated by the grafters of their
times. The materials used were mar
Die and sandstone. which came from
the state quarrieS, and the precious
stones, gold and silver and mother OF
pearl, used for the inIaying. were gifts
ui raJans and others. Nevertheless,
the building cost, all told, something
IKE SS5,o00.o00, or four times as much
as our most beautiful
building, the national library at Wash
lnston. The marble screen. which I
nave described, cost SIG. and Il
look ten years to make it Originally.
1t had a door of jasper, the work upon
which cost SO, 700, but this was chang
ed to a screen Of pure gold set with
gems which cost more than 100000.
After the structure was completed
Shah Jehan set aside q revenue OF
thlrty villages to keep it In order, and
he covered his wife's sarcOphagus with
a pail embroidered with pearls. The
records say that he mourned for his
woman to the day of his death, and
mat she had a great influence upon
MS life. She was his a.0
friend He consulted vi ner on
state affairs and trusted her with the
royal seal and took her along with
him on one Of his military campaigns.
she was noted for her beauty and
charity, and it is said that she was
religious and a special patron OF In
dlgent orphans. Upon her tomb are
n NO tho rfpof, -
of God from the Koran and various
Mohammedan texts. She is perhaps
best remembered of all Mohammedan
women, and of all her sex she has
the greatest A famous
traveller who passed through here IN
writing of the Tai. said:
II asked my wife at the close Of our
visit what she thought of the build
ing" II cannot she said. tell you
what think, for I know not how to
criticize such a building, but ] can tell
you how ] feel. I would die tomor-
row to have such a building over me-
The Palaces Of the MogulS.
During my stay here and at Delhi I
have gone through many of the pal
aces of these Mogul emperors of four
and five hundred years ago. Their
ruins are scattered throughout this
part of India and some of the build
ings are still almost in perfect condi-
ton. Others are battered and falling
to pieces, The great fort here OF
Agra built by them. has walls seventy
feet high and more than a mile long.
1t has massive sandstone gates inlaid
with marble and richly carved. It's
interior has an area equal to q good
sized farm and its wallis incloSe the pal
aces, which surpassed in their splen-
dor the descriptions Of Moore and
Byron of the g1ories of the Orient
Many of you have visited the jeweled
h ~ nov - tho IN~a1 0rin1-
the Great at Potsdam, outside Berlin.
1t was erected by that when
his treasury was low With the idea
that his eXtrava gances might create
the impression that he had money to
burn. One room of the palace was
walled with awels and precious stones
but it was &ly a pinch-back apart
ment in comparison with some of the
rooms in this fort at Delhi.
The palace here has interior walls
which were a laceWork Of marble, in
laid with marble mosaic and room af-
ter room containing marble screens
cut out like lace, but the meshes OF
which were stone three inches
through. The column Of some of the
rooms were set with costly Jewels.
There were tables inlaid with precious
stones, costly hangings and rugs worth
a kings ransom. The best part Of the
palace was built by Shah Jehan and
one of it's most beautiful divisions was
the harem where he kept his ninety
nine wives. [ walked through it to-
day. At one place the yelled ladies
looked out through marble laceWork
into a court at the wares which the
jewellers brought there for sale. In
another is a marble balcony where the
Shah and Muntaz used to fish In an
artificial lake lying below and IN a
third is a hall grander than any audi
ence hall in the world. There were
i-~l NJ ofr~n-C orN
fountains and in one room
the floor had been divided up INTO
c~hess-boards upon which the sultan
played, using pretty slave girls as
Ans and directing the movements by
his voice.
During my visit I went through
some Of the bedrooms occu pied in the
past by the ladies of the harem, and
my guide showed me their treasure
boxes. In the marble lodges of the