PRESENT STATE OF DELHI. 439 



stone surrounds the whole of the terrace, which is a- 

 dorned with octagon pavillions at convenient dis- 

 tance, for sitting in. The mosque is of an oblong 

 form, two hundred and sixty-one feet in length, sur- 

 rounded at top by three magnificent domes of white 

 marble, intersected with black stripes, and flanked 

 by two Minarets of black marble and red stone alter- 

 nately, rising to the height of a hundred and thirty 

 feet. Each of these Minarets has three projecting 

 galleries of white marble; and their summits are 

 crowned with light octagon pavillions of the same. 

 The whole front of the Jama Musjed is faced with 

 large skbs of beautiful white marble; and along the 

 cornice are ten compartments, four feet long, and two 

 and a half broad, which are inlaid with inscriptions in 

 black marble, in the Nuski character, and are said Xp 

 contain great part, if not the whole, of the Koran. The 

 inside of the mosque is paved throughout with large 

 flags of white marble, decorated with a black border; 

 and is wonderfully beautiful and delicate : the flags 

 are about three feet in length by one and a half broad. 

 The walls and roof are lined with plain white marble; 

 and near the Kibla is a handsome taak, or niche, adorn- 

 ed with a profusion of freeze-work. Close to this is 

 a mimber, or pulpit, of marble, having an ascent of 

 four steps, and ballustraded. The ascent to the Mi- 

 narets is by a winding stair-case of a hundred and 

 thirty seps of red stone ; and at the top you have a 

 noble view of the Ring's palace, and the whole of the 

 Cut tub Minar, the Kurrun Minar, Hum moon's tomb, 

 the palace of Firose Shah, the fort of old Delhi, 



3 F 4 and 



