100 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
also much to admire. It cannot indeed he denied that 
many of their religious teachers are so ignorant as to 
uphold the most barbarous superstitions, which of 
course are eagerly received by the deluded multitude ; 
but it is equally true, that in almost every age of the 
world, they have produced learned men among them 
who would have done honour to any country and at 
any period. 
During our stay at Delhi, we took advantage of 
our leisure, and saw everything in the city worth 
the traveller’s attention. I shall, therefore, enter 
a little further into detail concerning one or two of 
the more remarkable buildings of this still magnifi- 
cent city. The gateways of the fort are built in a 
style sufficiently bold, but look heavy in consequence 
of the material being a dull red stone. In two or 
three of these gateways there are marks of the se- 
verity of Gholaum Kaudir’s cannonading, before he 
was obliged to fly from the scene of his atrocities by 
the victorious Scindia, who visited him with so hor- 
rible a retribution. In the first court there is a can- 
non of so vast a calibre that a large man may lie in 
it with ease. I believe it is now never fired. In the 
second court is the Dewan Aum, or hall of public 
audience. The musnud* upon which the Mogul em- 
perors once sat was a most costly piece of work. It 
was in the form of a peacock with the tail outspread, 
entirely composed of diamonds and other precious 
stones. It had been valued at seven millions sterling. 
This gorgeous piece of state furniture was taken away 
by that rapacious spoiler Nadir Shah, and since the 
* Mahomed an throne. 
