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place, or below-ground place. To this we descended by a long 

 flight of steps, and found it consisted of a subterraneous gallery, 

 divided into three distinct rooms; the whole occupied a space 

 seventy-eight feet long, by twenty-seven broad. The side divisions 

 were raised two steps above the centre, which was entered through 

 two arches, formed by marble pillars, exquisitely wrought; in front 

 was a low elegant railing; and between the side rooms, within 

 these marble arches, were three fountains, to cool the atmosphere, 

 when the ladies were there assembled, such places being generally 

 appropriated to the pleasures of the voluptuous Mogul, and his 

 favourites in the haram. The whole of this singular apartment, 

 the walls, pavement, and pillars arc of delicate white marble; the 

 concave domes which form the roof are richly painted, in such a 

 manner as to produce the effect of blue and silver. The light is 

 admitted by three lattices, so constructed as to prevent the rays of 

 the sun. 



The morning after our arrival we visited the jumma musjid, 

 a noble building" which does honour to the magnificent taste of its 

 founder, the emperor Shah Jehan, who erected this superb edifice 

 five years after the completion of the Taje Mahal at Agra. The 

 entrances are all extremely grand, the lofty miliars elegantly 

 fluted, and the whole in good preservation. Besides the jumma 

 musjid, are many smaller mosques; some with gilded domes make 

 a dazzling appearance, the majority are of plainer materials, and 

 many falling to decay. 



Our limited stay at Delhi prevented us from seeing more of 

 the city than came within the compass of this morning's ride. On 

 leaving the jumma musjid, we proceeded through several streets, 



VOL. IV. K 



