domes. We
ascended one of the towers and had an extended view; inside there is a
spacious quadrangle, three hundred and twenty-five feet square, in the
centre of which is a fountain for ablution; and on three sides there
are sandstone cloisters. An immense concourse of people assemble here
for prayer every Friday; the mosque in arrangement is very similar to
the congregational mosques of Cairo.

The Kalun Musjid, usually called Black Mosque, dates from 1386. It is of
peculiar construction, having two stories, and is somewhat Egyptian in
appearance. A Jain temple was so hemmed in by streets that its
appearance was much impaired, but the interior was beautiful in design
and finish.

The street known as Chandni Chauk fully sustained its reputation as a
shopping centre; it is over a mile in length and is always a scene of
sparkle and commotion; on it were the usual bazars, but also many larger
stores, as Delhi is considered the finest shopping point in India,
particularly in precious stones,--jewelry being the commodity most
heralded, as we learned to our sorrow.

On arriving at Maiden's Hotel (under English management, but
semi-Oriental in its arrangement), we complacently viewed our rooms on
the second floor, opening upon a gallery and overlooking a large court.
Here at last, so we thought, was a haven of refuge from jewelry
intruders, but, alas! we were no sooner located than they appeared,--not
the impecunious class, but dealers with shops and a bank
account,--bringing with them a vast array of really beautiful gems,
which were tempting but high-priced. To say that, on an average, three
of these men knocked at our door during the morning bath, while as many
were waiting for us at the luncheon hour, literally camping out on the
balcony during the evening hours, is no exaggeration. Then the cards
they presented, the insinuations they indulged in with regard to the
other man's goods (who was waiting outside)! It really was amusing, but
it grew tiresome, and was demoralizing, because one was compelled to
"bargain" if anything was purchased at all, the first scale of prices
being purposely exorbitant.

A day's visit to old Delhi was most interesting; it is a ride of eleven
miles to Kutub Minar, through sand and debris, comprising a portion of
an area of forty-seven miles, covered with the remains of seven, once
prosperous, cities. Several of the ruins were of interest, and they had
a history, but I will describe only t