Ix Meport of the Archaeological Survey. 



omitted as too costly, and the new stone-work is therefore quite plain 

 throughout. This part of the work appears to have been done with 

 much patience and skill, and Major Smith deserves credit for the 

 conscientious care which he bestowed upon it. But this commenda- 

 tion must be confined to the repairs, for the restorations of the 

 entrance door- way, of the balustrades, and of the cupola, are altogether 

 out of keeping with the rest of the pillar. 



112. It appears from Major Smith's Eeport that the old entrance 

 doorway was still in existence at that time, although much broken. This 

 being the case, he should have adhered strictly to the original design 

 instead of which,, to use his own words,. " the former rude and frac- 

 tured entrance door of the base of the column (was) repaired, and 

 improved with new mouldings, frieze, and repair of the inscription 

 tablet." From this statement I infer that the whole of the entrance 

 doorway is Smith's own design, a conclusion which has already been 

 drawn by Mr, Fergusson, who denounces this work as being " in the 

 true style of Strawberry Hill Gothic." Perhaps it may not now be 

 possible to recover the original design,, but its main features- may be 

 ascertained from the other three existing doorways. All of these are 

 plain, and it m evident from Major Smith's account that the lower 

 doorway was also plain,, or, as he calls it, "rude," and without frieze 

 or mouldings, which were added by himself. I confess, therefore, that 

 I should like to see Smith's doorway altogether removed, and the old 

 entrance restored in the simple but massive style of the other doorways. 

 The entrance of the Koel Minar, which is still in existence, is also 

 plain, and might be studied with advantage* 



113. The flimsy balustrades are even a greater eye-sore than the 

 modern entrance, as they form a prominent part in every view of the 

 building. But although not ornamental, they are useful, and might 

 on that account alone be tolerated. It would not, however, be either 

 difficult or expensive to remove them, and to furnish new balustrades 

 more in harmony with the rich style of the balconies. Ensign Blunt 

 describes the old balustrades as " small battlements ;" and such, I 

 believe, must have been the nature of the original balustrades, at once 

 rich and massive, like the battlements of the older tombs. The 

 present balustrades might be sold with advantage in Delhi, as they 

 belong to the flimsy style of garden-house architecture of the present 

 day. 



