63 



number of peaches, the first I have seen in India, not yet ripe; 

 neither were the pempelnoos, or shadocks, which were equally 

 abundant. Figs, which were nearly over at Surat, were still un- 

 ripe at Delhi, so were the small oranges, (called at Bombay the 

 Aurungabad oranges) which we have purchased at most of the 

 principal towns since leaving Oojen. We have in this latitude 

 one great advantage over the southern provinces of Hindostan, in 

 a journey at this season, when the day breaks at four in the 

 morning, and it is not dark until eight in the evening. 



We entered the new city at the Delhi gate, leading to a long 

 street of a miserable appearance, containing one very handsome 

 musjid, with gilded domes; from thence we were conducted along 

 one face of the fort, to the house, or rather palace allotted for our 

 accommodation. It was a spacious edifice, or rather a multiplica- 

 tion of courts and edifices, built by Sufder Jung; still belonging 

 to his descendant Asuph ul Dowlah, and lately occupied by his 

 vackeel, the eunuch Lutafut, a man of great consequence at this 

 period. Here we found convenient quarters for all our part}', 

 totally distinct from, each other; also for our cattle and at- 

 tendants. 



In the evening, on taking a more complete view of this Mogul 

 mansion, we were surprised to find the apartments just mentioned 

 formed only a very small part of this immense pile, which occu- 

 pies sis squares, corresponding with that in which we immediately 

 reside. Each of them comprising an elegant mansion, capable 

 of accommodating, in a magnificent style, half a dozen numerous 

 families, while the various ranges of inferior rooms, lodges, and 

 Qut-offices of every description, were amply sufficient to cover, a£ 



