85 



white marble ; the dome which covers it, and all the rest of the 

 whole structure is free-stone. The garden shews the remains of 

 walks, canals, and fountains ; the buildings are appropriated to a 

 batLalion of sepoys stationed here by the vizier. The town in ge- 

 neral is populous, the streets long and straggling, the houses mean, 

 and such of the women as fell under our notice, remarkably 

 plain. 



In respect to the junction of the Ganges and Jumna, the velo- 

 city with which the latter rushes into the former is worthy of re- 

 mark. It occasions a visible rise across the stream, and turned 

 round the boat in which we attempted crossing, with an inconceiv- 

 able rapidity. 



From Allahabad we went down the Ganges on the 21st to 

 Chunar, called by the natives Chundal-Ghur. This fort is strongly 

 situated on a hill, with a disadvantage of being commanded by one 

 still higher. The commandant's house is a fine building, and the 

 staff* officers have an excellent suite of apartments. The mauso- 

 leums of Shah Cossim Soolimanee, and Shah Wassub, are singularly 

 beautiful ; and the stone railings which enclose these shrines, are 

 curiously wrought in open mosaic patterns. The quarries at Chu- 

 nar furnish abundantly a light-coloured stone, resembling Portland 

 stone, which is easily worked, and well adapted for public buildings 

 of the natives, on which they lavish a variety of ornamental sculp- 

 ture. The city of Calcutta is supplied with this useful article from 

 the quarries at Chunar, easily transported by water. 



We next stopped a short time at Ramnaghur, where a heavy 

 pile of building forms a fortified palace on the brink of the river ; 



