314 RIFLE AXD SPEAR WITH THE RAJPOOTS. 



In the distance are the purple mountains of the Arivales, 

 forming the background to the clear blue lake which, shut 

 in by the hills on all sides, washes the walls and terraces of 

 the palace. In the middle of its waters rise three white 

 marble palaces, which might have been raised by the genie 

 of Aladdin's lamp. The islands which form their founda- 

 tions are invisible, covered entirelv by graceful fairylike 

 palaces, whose arches, cupolas and terraces project far into 

 the lake beyond. From an inner garden of one pavilion, 

 tall, waving palms shoot up. standing out darkly against the 

 setting sun. Seen through the flowers and trees on the 

 palace terrace it was like a dream of fairyland. I have seen 

 nothing so lovely on Maggiore or Como, or even on the 

 beautiful and more-talked-of lakes of Kashmir. 



A boat was waiting to row us to the water palaces. I 

 should have preferred not to have gone, and would rather 

 have let them rest in my memory distant and unknown. 

 But, alas ! the sightseer has no freedom of choice. And the 

 beauty of the evening on the lake somewhat compensated 

 for the disillusionment of one's ideas. 



One palace was the refuge of many Englishwomen 

 during the Mutiny. They were sheltered here by the then 

 Maharaja, and all the boats on the lake removed, so that 

 the rebels could not reach them. This pavilion is held 

 above the waters on the backs of elephants carved in stone. 

 An inner garden is laid out in the pattern of a Kashmir 



