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206 the inhabitants came out, and there was a continuous throng night and day for a week.

The houses of the chiefs were fine lofty buildings, and there were open spaces, gardens, and fountains. In the walls of the fort, which were of great thickness, chambers and rooms were constructed for the officers of the artillery, where, during all seasons, they could live in comfort and keep up a fire of cannon and musketry. The fortress had one gate, and outside this gate there was another fort called Kamargarh, the walls of which were joined on both sides to the great fort. This was looked upon as an outwork and was held by inferior ranks of men, such as musketeers and archers. Below this fort, but still on an elevated spot, was another fort called Malgarh, which also was very strong. In comparison with the fortress, it seemed at the bottom of the earth; but compared with the surface of the ground, it appeared to be half-way up to the sky. This being the most advanced of the works, great care had been taken to strengthen it with guns and other implements. Below this was an inhabited place called Takhati, as large as a city. In short, the fortress was one of the wonders of the world, and it is impossible to convey an idea of it to any one who has not seen it.

Shaikh Farid, after collecting all the available information about the fortress, wrote a description of it to Akbar and devoted himself to devising a plan for its capture. As the actual strength of the place was not fully known to the emperor, envious men represented its reduction as being an easy matter, and thus vexed