The moon's light
gives a magical effect to old ruins or Gothic buildings, but not to
a monument which consists of white brilliant marble. Moonlight
makes the latter appear in indistinct masses, and as if partly
covered with snow. Whoever first promulgated this opinion
respecting the Taj-Mehal perhaps visited it in some charming
company, so that he thought everything round him was heavenly and
supernatural; and others may have found it more convenient, instead
of putting it to the test themselves, to repeat the statement of
their predecessors.
One of the most interesting excursions of my whole journey was to
the ruins of the town of Fattipoor Sikri, eighteen miles from Agra,
and six miles in circumference. We rode thither, and had ordered
changes of horses, so as to be able to make the journey in one day.
On our way, we passed at times over extended heaths, on one of which
we saw a small herd of antelopes. The antelope is a kind of deer,
but smaller in size. It is extremely delicate and prettily formed,
and is distinguished by narrow dark-brown stripes along the back.
The herd crossed the road before us without much timidity, passing
over ditches and bushes, and leaping more than twenty feet at a
time, with such graceful movements that they seemed as if dancing
through the air.
