26 The Hunting Grounds 



call " the faithful " to prayer at five certain times 

 during the day. In capacious vaults below are 

 the tombs of the wives, favourite mistresses, and 

 children of the kings, also of black, polished 

 marble, covered with inscriptions. Besides the 

 seven large tombs there are several smaller ones, 

 also numerous Mosques, Eedgahs, Shrines, Tanks, 

 Baths, Durm-salahs (alms-houses), Caravanserais, 

 and Choultrees, for the accommodation of pilgrims 

 and travellers, which are falling to ruin from 

 neglect. 



There is a very tolerably kept up garden round 

 one of the tombs, in which the mangoe, orange, 

 lime, citron, pumelow, fig, jack-fruit, pomegranate, 

 plaintain, cocoa-nut, vine, and betel-nut flourish. 

 It is a delightful place, and quite in the Oriental 

 style, having long shaded avenues, with stone 

 borders, numerous fountains, and streams of run- 

 ning water on each side, to irrigate the plants. 

 Parterres of roses and Indian jessamine load the 

 air with the most delicious fragrance, and at 

 intervals are beautiful " kiosks " or garden-houses, 

 of the most elaborate and delicately carved Sara- 

 cenic architecture, profusely ornamented with ara- 

 besques and quaint Arabic and Persian inscrip- 

 tions, some of which I took the trouble of deci- 

 phering, and found them to be guzzels, or verses, 

 in which some fair beauty is described " as having 



