Forbes, James, 1749–1819, James Forbes letter, Bombay 1766 March 15, copied between 1794 and 1800
- Call Number:
- Folio A 2023 69
- Holdings:
- Accessible by appointment in the Study Room [Request]
- Creator:
- Forbes, James, 1749–1819
- Title(s):
- James Forbes letter, Bombay 1766 March 15
- Date:
- copied between 1794 and 1800
- Classification:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Series:
- Series I: A voyage from England to Bombay with descriptions in Asia, Africa, and South America
- Part of Collection:
- volume 1, page 299-301
- Provenance:
- Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
- Conditions Governing Access:
- The materials are open for research.
- Conditions Governing Use:
- The collection is the physical property of the Yale Center for British Art. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts.
- Scope and Content:
- Forbes’s fifth letter begins with a brief stay at Cochin (Kochi), “a neat fortified town” with “a charming river and pleasant country for recreation.” But despite Cochin’s lovely atmosphere, the ship moves quickly to its next destination. Forbes describes passing Calicut (Kozhikode), “the first port in India ever visited by a European vessel,” and arriving at Tellicherry (Thalassery), a settlement under the rule of the English East India Company. He dwells briefly on the surrounding area—a hilly region “producing Pepper, Rice, Cardamoms, and Coffee”—and regrets he spent only a few hours on shore. The ship continues past Mangalore (Mangaluru), “a large town and strong fortress” under the rule of Hyder Ali Khan. Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore (Mysuru), one of the major political powers in the unstable world of eighteenth-century India, and a frequent military opponent of the East India Company. His son, Tipu Sultan, would continue to pose a threat to company rule until his death in the siege of Seringapatam (Srirangapatna) in 1799. Beyond Mangalore lies Goa, which “was once the most magnificent of any of the European settlements in India,” but is now given over to decay, a casualty of the declining Portuguese empire. And, at last, Forbes arrives at Bombay, eleven months after his departure from England. Forbes experiences a bittersweet farewell: “I confess it was with no small regret I left the vessel, & took leave of my ship-mates; as I was much attached to the Captain and Officers for their polite and friendly attentions.” Forbes nonetheless begins his residence in India, and closes with a verse by Thomas Tickell (1685-1740). This is the end of volume one. Portions of this text are reproduced in abridged form in <title>Oriental Memoirs</title>, volume 1, pp. 13-15. Bibliography: Jasanoff, Maya. <title>Edge of Empire: Lives, Culture, and Conquest in the East, 1750-1850</title>. New York: Vintage Books, 2005.
- Physical Description:
- 3 pages
- Genre:
- Correspondence , Botanical illustrations, Ornithological illustrations, Travel sketches, Maps, Watercolors (paintings), Drawings (visual works), Engravings (prints), and Portraits
- Subject Terms:
- Forbes, James, 1749-1819. Descriptive letters and drawingsForbes, James, 1749-1819. Oriental memoirs
- Associated Places:
- EnglandItalyScotlandWales
- Associated People/Groups:
- East India CompanyForbes, James, 1749-1819
- Finding Aid Title:
- James Forbes archive
- Collection PDF:
- https://ead-pdfs.library.yale.edu/11734.pdf
- Archival Object:
- https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/3199331
- Metadata Cloud URL:
- https://metadata-api.library.yale.edu/metadatacloud/api/aspace/repositories/3/archival_objects/3199331?mediaType=json&include-notes=1&include-all-subjects=1