THE ELEPHANT MINAR. 
Ill 
it is crowned,, with elephant’s tusks projecting from 
the shaft at equal distances all round, and present- 
ing a singular feature to the spectator’s eye. The 
ascent to the gallery is by a spiral staircase within 
the column, lighted by small perforations at necessary 
intervals. In the side of the square platform on 
which the minar stands is a doorway, leading to 
a large dark chamber, where probably the beasts in- 
tended for the combat were originally confined. In 
the distance, to the right of the minar as you look 
towards the town, appears to have been the royal 
stable in which were kept those elephants intended 
for the fight, as is signified by a sculpture of two of 
those colossal animals on either side of the door-way. 
In the time of Akbar, beyond the minar a large 
space was enclosed from the surrounding plain, which 
stretched to a considerable extent towards the river 
Jumna ; and from the pavilion above, the principal 
omrahs or nobles of his court used to participate with 
their royal master in a pastime no less exciting to 
them than to him. During my stay in India I have 
been several times present at exhibitions of this de- 
scription ; but always found that they created feelings 
of painful disgust rather than of rational pleasure. 
There is something absolutely appalling in beholding 
those fierce animals mangling each other with all 
that ferocity to which Nature has so signally disposed 
them for those purposes of destruction, as wise as 
they are benignant, without which the world would be 
overspread with a savage and indomitable race, and 
no longer be a secure dwelling-place for man* The 
cruelties frequently practised towards such wretched 
