PORCELAIN TOWEU, AT NANKIN. 205 



of several fine palaces, the former dwellings of the chief Omrahs of the 

 empire; the palaces are each of considerable extent. There are also 

 several beautiful mosques ; the largest of these, the Jumma Musjeed, 

 was built by Shah Jehan, and completed in six years. The gardens of 

 Shah Jehan are said to have cost a score of rupees ( 1 ,000,000) ; the 

 original character of which is completely lost, and they now form a neat 

 park. There are also some ruins of splendid Mausoleums in good 

 preservation. A remarkable tower, called the " Minar," stands here ; it 

 is of great antiquity, and perfectly circular, being divided in five parts or 

 stories ; it is built in a peculiar style of architecture, and is computed to 

 be 262 feet in height. 



PORCELAIN TOWER, AT NANKIN. (8) 



It is so called from its being entirely covered with porcelain tiles, 

 beautifully painted ; the form of it is octagonal, contains nine stories, and 

 is 249 feet in height; the base (which is of solid brickwork) has a wall 

 12 feet in thickness, which is lessened gradually as it ascends; upon the 

 top is a pine apple upon a spire or pyramid. It has a rough marble 

 balustrade surrounding it, and there is an ascent of 12 steps to the first 

 floor, from whence there is access to all the other stories, but the 

 staircases are very narrow, steep, and inconvenient. Upon every story 

 there is a pent house on the outside of the tower, and at each corner are 

 small bells, which, when moved by the wind, produce a pleasing sound. 

 The interior divisions of the stories are only large pieces of timber, 

 having rough boards laid across them. The ceilings of the rooms are 

 ornamented with paintings, and the light to them is by lattices, made of 

 wire; the niches of the wall are filled with Chinese idols, and other 

 ornaments, which are said to have a very beautiful effect. It has been 

 built nearly 400 years, and is still in the highest state of preservation 

 and beauty. 



CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE DAME, AT PARIS. (9) 



The present Cathedral, which dates between 1180 and 1223 as the 

 period of its erection, was built upon the ruins of two churches, one of 

 which may belong to late in the fourth century, and the other early in 

 the fifth. The present Cathedral may be considered as uniting both 

 these churches, and covering the whole space which they formerly 



