Year: 1875

GLOW Is it that you can live in such mag
nifcence upon fifty rupees a month Ex-
plain this, that | may take a lesson and
reduce the expenditures Of my kingdom. y
At this close questioning the face Of the
kotioai became white with fear. The king
then said to the head men of the village {:
"You are all well satisfied with the kotloal,
but | will produce one of you who is not "
And he then gave orders for the elephant
with the ploughman on it to advance.


"When the kOt,oal saw him his head fell
on his breast, the dark shadow Of confusion
overspread his face, and speech left his
lips. And the villagers, when they saw
the turn affairs were taking, loaded the
ket1dl with abuse and revilings for his
tyranny and oppression-such is the way
Of this world Akbar then ordered all
the property Of the kot,oat to be confsca-
ted and given to the ploughman, whom lie
made kotlodl instead; and also ordered a
fine Of one hundred rupees to be levied on
the village, because the men had spoken
false before him, and this to be given to
the religious mendicants. The former
kot,eaI had the plot Of land and hut of the
husbandman given him for his lot The
ploughman turned out an honest man, and
was afterward advanced to the situation Of
inspector Of chiildrs, which was very
lucrative appointment. Beer-Bul said
"The seed have sown has increased a
hundred.fold; my advice is no longer re-
quired by you, o king; your wisdom now
exceeds mine.


From Beer-Bul' palace we-Mustag
Allie and myself-walked to the Elephant
Tower, passing through plain gateway,
called the Elephant Gate, from the fact
that formerly two huge stone elephants
stood raised upon lofty bases on either side
of it, These elephants were so dreadfully
shattered during the civil wars that one
can scarcely recognize them now. On one
side of this gate is huge octagonal bas'
tion, which was the beginning Of fortress
that Akbar intended to build here. A
little further down the hill is the Elephant
Tower, a minar about ninety feet in height
surmounted by light cupola, and studded
from top to bottom with stone limitations
of elephant tusks, each about three feet
in length. This tower was erected BY
Akbar over the grave of favorite ele
/ plant. It is called also the Hirum Minal
or Antelope Tower, because (at least sc
the guide said) from its top the emperor
used to kill with the bow and arrow and
sometimes with the matchbox, antelope
which were driven across an open field in
front at fair shooting distance.


Near the de,odn-i-khds, or hall Of pri,
vate audience, is small pavilion whose
dome is supported by massive stone ser.
pents, curiously carved. Here the Goroo
or Hindu Saint, who was the reputed cause
of the emperors abandoning Futtehpore'
Sikri and building Agra, made his reli-
gious offerings. Adjoining is building
full Of small rooms and crooked passages
in which the ladies' of the harem amused
themselves at hide-and-seek On another
side of this court is the palace Of the Sui
tana Of Constantinople, which, though
small, is the most splendidly sculptured
building to be seen at Futtepore-Sikri
Both within and without-eyen the inner
roof Of the portico-all is covered with
delicate and beautiful carving. The slabs
of stone usedare of immense size, and the
designs cut upon them embrace flowers,
fruits, vines and geometric figures. The
sultana was lady of high rank, reputed
to have been very beautiful, and Akbar
was so enamored Of her he built himself a
small palace almost adjoining hers, that he
might "enjoy the society of his love" the
more frequently.


After dinner in the cutcherry (court Of
JUSTICE and the purchase Of small oil
portrait Of Busharat Allie, / took leave Of
Mustag, the guide, and reluctantly rode
back to Agra. But the day spent among
the ruins of King Akbars old palaces and
mosques will ever be remembered as one
of the most interesting in my Indian wan,
derings of six months, and four thousand
miles.