FORT OF AGRA, 
129 
While we were gazing upon the beautiful ruins of 
the white marble pavilion in the palace, he quoted 
the following lines from the poet Sadi : — 
(( The spider hath woven his web in the royal palace of the 
Csesars ; 
The owl standeth centinel on the watch towers of Afrasiab.” 
The fort of Agra is a most imposing object, upon 
whichever side it is viewed. The lofty towers and 
high embattled walls rise one above another, to a tre- 
mendous height, giving it the appearance of a gigantic 
castle, reared from a foundation upon the plain ; while 
in truth, it consists of a succession of fortifications, 
built in, or upon, the rocky front of a high precipice, 
walls are, in some places, surmounted with hand- 
some domes of marble, or of gilt copper, and upon the 
front facing the Jumna, the elegant white marble 
pavilions of the palace overlook the works. The walls 
of the body of the place are still kept in excellent 
repair by the Government, while the outer ditch and 
out-works have been suffered to go to decay. But I 
must not occupy my narrow space with wide descrip- 
tions or with historical detail; daily writers are saving 
me the necessity. Who does not now know, what 
nobody knew fifty years since, that Agra was raised 
from a village to a most magnificent city by the 
Emperor Akbar, and by him called Akbar-abad. 
Who does not know that the fort was considered 
impregnable until taken by Lord Lake, in 1803; 
that it floated in blood during the reign of Aurung- 
