Forbes, James, 1749-1819, James Forbes letter, London, 1784 August 4, copied between 1794 and 1800
- CallNumber:
- Folio A 2023 69
- Creator:
- Forbes, James, 1749-1819
- Title(s):
- James Forbes letter, London, 1784 August 4
- 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 13, page 57-76
- 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 begins his last letter with greetings to a friend still in Bombay (Mumbai), saying that, as promised, he has included notes on his voyage back to England. He takes solace in the fact that his friend will be returning to England soon, as well. “Goa” The first stop on Forbes’s return voyage is at Goa, where he and his shipmates met with the English resident. They visit various churches and convents, and yet, “every thing there inspires melancholy ideas; and Miss Cavalho the once beautiful nun, is now almost a lifeless statue of wretchedness and despair.” He has only positive words to say, however, about one of the main Portuguese officials, insisting that he is extraordinarily capable, in stark contrast to those other officials around him. “Tellicherry” Next, the ship stops at Tellicherry (Thalassery), to pick up more cargo. The visit here is melancholy as well, if for somewhat different reasons. The English at Thellicherry relate tales of Tipu Sultan (1750-1799) and his treatment of English prisoners, stories that horrify Forbes. He observes that Tipu Sultan “seems a greater barbarian than his father Hyder Ally” and that there is “no doubt of General Mathews having been compelled to drink poison…and many subalterns both in the army and navy forced to profess the Mahometan religion” His retelling of the alleged abuses of English personnel comprises the majority of this portion of his letter. “Continuation of the Voyage” The ship then stops briefly at a Dutch settlement, taking on water and provisions, before setting sail for England. The initial winds are good, and Forbes marvels at the good progress made during this leg of the voyage. “Cape of Storms” His good luck ends, however, near the Cape of Good Hope. Here, the ship begins to experience “strong wintery blasts,” followed by a storm in which “the motion of the vessel exceeded every thing I ever remember, and it is astonishing how her masts withstood the violence of so enraged a sea.” The ship makes for St. Helena, though is again delayed by storms, unfavorable currents, and rough seas. Forbes includes a lengthy transcription from William Julius Mickle’s (1734-1788) translation of The Lusiads, by Luís Vaz de Camões (c. 1524-1580), as an illustration of the horrific weather at the cape. “St. Helena” The ship finally arrives at St. Helena, and stays for three weeks. Compared to his previous stay on the island, Forbes finds it “considerably improved; especially in the cultivation of potatoes, a most useful production for the inhabitants.” He also notes the prevalence of yams and plantains, the primary food of the island’s enslaved population of slaves. Indeed, much of Forbes admiration for the island is due to the diversity of its flora. He writes that St. Helena is unique, “a spot where the English oak and Indian Banian tree unite their friendly shade; and where the savering [?] Aloe and prickly-pear of Africa, with the Asiatic Bamboo & Arabian Coffee, grow luxuriantly in the same border with the apple, the peach and mulberry from Europe.” Forbes then speculates as to the island’s geology: he suspects it was “formed by subterraneous fire” and compares it to other land resulting from volcanic eruptions. He insists that “Many of the prospects are truly romantic and picturesque; they want only richer woods & larger streams to make them rival the sublime & beautiful landscapes of Switzerland.” “Island of Ascension” After leaving St. Helena, the ship passes Ascension Island, a bit of land that Forbes supposes is roughly equal to St. Helena in size and of a similar volcanic origin. They are, however, not allowed to stop, “for fear of a contraband trade with the Americans, we were obliged to leave these delicacies to vessels, not under this disagreeable predicament.” “Conclusion of the Voyage” The remainder of the voyage to England is relatively uneventful. Forbes remembers the pulling onboard of a large chunk of seaweed, “to observe the crabs, shrimps, animated blubber, and a variety of small fish, adhering to its branches.” After this impromptu, natural historical entertainment, Forbes relates his emotions on first viewing England: “I experience those mingled emotions of pain and pleasure, not easily described.” He thinks of his parents; he does not know whether they are living or dead, and feels anxiety over the time he has spent away from his homeland. He later finds out they are indeed alive, which causes him “joy unspeakable,” and concludes his letter with a quotation from Catullus. Portions of this text appear in <title>Oriental Memoirs</title>, volume 4, chapter 41.
- PhysicalDescription:
- 18 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/3200070
- Metadata Cloud URL:
- https://metadata-api.library.yale.edu/metadatacloud/api/aspace/repositories/3/archival_objects/3200070?mediaType=json&include-notes=1&include-all-subjects=1