tioned. All were either injured or defaced in the mutiny
conflict of 1857, which raged in Agra from May 10th to October 10th, six
thousand women and children, with a few men, having found a refuge there
during the siege. A feature of the Public Audience Room is a grille in
the back wall, through which the Sultanas or members of the Zenana could
watch the proceedings below; and in the centre of the hall is a
raised alcove of white marble, richly decorated in low relief.

[Illustration: _Agra Palace and part of wall and gateway to the fort_]

[Illustration: _An Octagon Tower of the Agra Palace_]

The Hall of Private Audience consists of an open colonnade in front of
an enclosed room at the back. The illustration shows the front
overlooking the court, while beyond is the Octagon Tower, the residence
of the chief Sultana. In the court a portion of the marble pavement is
made to represent a pachisi or chess board, and it is said the game was
played with slave girls, who were used instead of the customary
chessmen. The Octagon Tower is built out over the river Jumna, as will
be seen in a later picture.

The portion known as the Mirror Palace is unique, as it consists of two
dark rooms furnished with fountains and an artificial cascade arranged
to fall over lighted lamps. The walls and ceilings are decorated with
innumerable small mirrors which were restored in 1875. The palace
measures seventy by forty feet, and is built at the east end of a garden
two hundred and fifty feet square, planted with flowers and shrubs.
Underneath the structure are subterranean apartments for use during the
summer heat, and from here passages lead to still cooler rooms in
another portion of the fort.

In the southeast corner of this Anguri Bagh, or garden, are three finely
decorated rooms which were once the private apartments of Shah Jahan.
The Jahangir Mahal, or palace, is noticeable on account of the bright
red tiles used in the upper portion. It also has a fine domed hall which
leads into a large central court.

But the crowning single feature in this fort (which is over a mile in
extent) is the Moti Musjid, or Pearl Mosque. Mr. Ferguson considers it
to be "one of the purest and most elegant buildings of its class to be
found in the world." It ranks next to the Taj Mahal among Shah Jahan's
creations. The entrance gateway is of red sandstone and is approached by
a lofty double staircase. The exterior is faced with slabs of red
sandstone,