AMBER 55 



abruptly on three sides of Jaipore and are crowned 

 by the ancient city wall, with fortifications and tur- 

 rets at all the highest points. The carriage takes one 

 only to the end of the level, where one is conveyed 

 by bullock-cart or elephant up the hill to Amber. 

 As we reached the top of the pass and started down 

 into the next valley, the whole deserted city lay 

 stretched before us, its houses and temples crum- 

 bling and overgrown with weeds. Above rose 

 abruptly another hill, and on its top in imposing 

 prominence towered the ancient palace of the 

 Maharajas. The elephant eventually dropped us 

 in the courtyard, whence we passed through the 

 many halls and rooms of the palace, admiring 

 especially the fine inlaid work of the walls, which 

 was always the strong point of the ancient Mogul 

 designers. It is said that an underground passage 

 connects this palace with the one in Jaipore, six 

 miles away; so that in former days the Maharaja, 

 if attacked, could flee to what was then his summer 

 country home, but this assertion I could not per- 

 sonally verify. 



After seeing the palace and obtaining a magnifi- 

 cent view of Amber and the surrounding country 

 from its topmost turrets, we descended to a live 

 temple to Krishna, where worship was going on. 

 The god's breakfast-bowl had just been removed 



