House and Garden 
spread out immediately beneath this, lies the 
great terrace with its geometrical box- 
bordered flower-beds and two fountains, all 
surrounded by a solid balustrade and all as 
classical as the upper 
terrace is Persian. 
In the center of the 
high southern wall 
of this great terrace 
is set a double stair¬ 
case beneath which 
is a little tile-lined 
grotto and wall 
fountain. From 
this point one de¬ 
scends rapidly by a 
long flight of steps, 
broken by two 
broad landings, 
each with its foun¬ 
tain, to a grove 
whose foliage is so 
thickly luxuriant as 
to almost merit the 
name of jungle. 
H ere the axial path¬ 
way crosses between 
two large pools, in 
which purple and 
pink lilies are already growing, and it 
separates on the farther side in two smaller 
paths between which lie three long equal 
pools, perhaps the most typically oriental 
feature of all. Each pool is raised a few 
inches above its fellow and separated from 
it by a thin slab of stone in the top of 
which is cut a little semi-circular channel. 
When the uppermost pool is filled, the 
water trinkles gent¬ 
ly through this 
into the succeeding 
one. 
The gradual 
slope from north to 
south is so well 
adapted to the de¬ 
sign that no more 
than an “inch” or 
so ot water suffices 
to set all in motion. 
Then, when tank, 
pools and basins 
are filled and 
the supply shut 
off, it is hoped 
that the effect of 
the still surfaces, 
whose tank lining 
of pale greenish- 
blue tiles will seem 
to reflect an ever 
blue and smiling 
sky, will be no 
more inferior to those gardens where 
water is abundant, than the placid depths 
ot the gardens of Shiraz are inferior to 
the gushing fountains and rippled surfaces 
of T ivoli. 
THE PERGOLA ON THE MARGIN OF A STREAM 
Marked on the plan of u El Fureidis ” by the letter “J" 
103 
