Ô n the high road from Agra to Dehli there are many
final! buildings, the form of which is a fquare pedeftal, upon
which rifes a cone, to the heighth:' o f about eight feet.. In
this cone there are a great number of fquare niches, in which
were placed the heads of malefactors, in terrorem. Thefe
likewife ferved the puipofe of marking the cofs diftances
on the road : many of them are now broken down and covered
in the duft.
T o the foüth-eaft of the city of Agra is a beautiful monument,
raifed by the Emperor Shah Jehan for his beloved
wife Taje Mabel, whofe name it bears, and is called, by way
of eminence, the Taje Mattel. It now Hands two miles
from the city, though formerly it joined it. Adjacent to
this monument there was a great bazar, or market, for the
richeft manufactures of India, and of foreign countries*»
compofed o f fix courts, and encompafled with great open
porticoes ; but fcarcely a veftige of this building is fibw remaining.
The Taje Mabel rifes immediately from the river,
founded cat a bafe of red free-ltone, at the extremity of which
are oCtagon pavilions, confiding of three Rories each. On
the feme bafe are two large buildings, one on either fide, and
perfectly fimilar, each crowned • with three domes of white
marble ; the center dome confiderably larger than the others.
One of thefe buildings is a musjiid, or mofquej the other
* See Tavernier.
I N D I A. 123
was defigned for the repofe: of any great perfonage,; who
might corne d either on apilgrimage,tQ,th6/tortfb-, or tojfetisfy
a well-direCted curiofity. On this bafeof free-ftone (.having
a platform at lead; of twentyifive feet in breadthi) anoth&r rpfis :■
of white marble, of a fqiuare form, .and: which .is'about fouir
teen feet the angles are oCtagon, from which rife minarets,
or vaft: columns 'tapering" upwards; haying three feve-
ral galleries running round them, and on the top'of :®ach an
open pavilion, - crowned With a dome. Thefe mmarets ff&oj
I fhould have remarked, are of y^ite marble, and,'contain
flair-cafes which lead to the top. From thjs Magnificent bafe^
like thofes already defcribedi' rifes the body . #fc> the ;huil4feg>1
which has a platform fimilar to the above. The plan of, this
is oCtagon; the four principal fides appofed -to the.-cardinal
points,of the-compafs. In the center of eaclu pf jhpr/pur
fides there is raifed a vaft and pointed arch, like that .described
in the-gate of the tombof Acbar j .and the top :ahovejthisiarph
rifes conficferably higher^than the other parts o f the building.
Thofe faces of-the building whichform the oCtagon on either
fide the great arches, have two Stories of pointed arches, with
recedes, and a low halluitrade in sfroht1; theipandels above
the arches are greatly enriched with dilferent-coloured marble
inlaid: the headsj of the arches within the recedes «are likewife
moft highly enriched in the feme manner; within the
feveral arches running round the building are windows, formed
by an open fret-work in the folid flab, to give light to
the interior of the building. From behind this oCtagon front,