Forbes, James, 1749-1819, James Forbes letter, Surat, 1772 January 15, copied between 1794 and 1800
- CallNumber:
- Folio A 2023 69
- Creator:
- Forbes, James, 1749-1819
- Title(s):
- James Forbes letter, Surat, 1772 January 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
- ContainerGrouping:
- volume 4, page 185-195
- Provenance:
- Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
- AccessRestrict:
- The materials are open for research.
- UseRestrict:
- 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.
- ScopeContent:
- Forbes continues his description of Surat in his eighteenth letter. He begins with a description of “one of the most extraordinary charitable foundations I ever met with”: a sort of hospital for animals. Forbes gives details of a place where all sorts of creatures, when past their most productive period of life, find rest and repose. He is, at times, repulsed by the degree to which the local community supports the endeavor: “the overseers of the hospital frequently pay poor people a trifling sum to pass a night among them [bugs, rats, and vermin], and permit them to regale on their bodies; one of the most unpleasant modes of raising a little money I ever heard of.” Otherwise, he is quite taken by the concept: “It is not for me to say how far this system might be adopted in Europe; but such an asylum for the better species of brutes, would be no discredit either to humanity or Christianity.” He ascribes the motivations for founded such a place as a belief in reincarnation, or perhaps a sheer veneration of the animal form. Forbes then turns to the human inhabitants of Surat. He lists the most prominent communities—Hindus, Parsis, and Muslims—before turning to more specific comments on industry, trade, and practices. He praises the skill of the manufacturers, and repeats what he has heard of Kashmir, “the Paradise of nations!” The shawls, he explains, are of very fine quality and found in numerous places. As a whole, the inhabitants of Surat “are a valuable and industrious set of people, and much to their credit, they never suffer a beggar in their tribe.” Religious mendicants, however, flourish, and are “a great burden on the land.” Forbes describes two key events. First, he accompanies “the English Chief” on a visit to the Nabob (nawab). The occasion is a lavish one, and Forbes recounts the giving of numerous gifts, including gold ornaments, horses, and a diamond ring. The guests consume coffee and sherbet and, at the conclusion of the ceremony, receive a gift of spices and betel nut, “which is always customary in oriental visits.” Forbes also narrates the visit of the Nabob to the Jumai Masjed (Jama Masjid), in somewhat greater detail. He explains the purpose—Ramandan, “in this month the Mahomedans believe the Koran came down from heaven”—and critiques its practice: “they elude the spirit of it by feasting the whole night, and towards morning retire for rest. In this they resemble too many of the Romish professors of Christianity in the western world.” He describes the procession which takes the Nabob to the mosque, giving an account of each type of attendant, including the representatives of the East India Company. He then switches topics and turns to his own witnessing of the event. Forbes sits perched near a window adjacent to one in which several women sit. They then pass by him, and he is instructed either to leave, or to look out the window, in order to preserve their seclusion. He, however, does look, and, spying a woman whom he knows, proceeds to have a conversation with her a friend. He describes in detail her clothing and appearance. As elsewhere, Forbes is taken by Indian women and the practice of purdah; his fascination reflects a much broader one on the part of both men and women European travelers. The letter ends abruptly after his description of the woman’s appearance and ornament. Portions of the text appear in <title>Oriental Memoirs</title>, volume 1, pp. 256-263.
- PhysicalDescription:
- 11 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
- FindingAidTitle:
- James Forbes archive
- Archival Object:
- https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/3199530
- Metadata Cloud URL:
- https://metadata-api.library.yale.edu/metadatacloud/api/aspace/repositories/3/archival_objects/3199530?mediaType=json&include-notes=1&include-all-subjects=1