Wales, James, 1746 or 1747–1795, James Wales diary, 1794 January-1795 May
- Call Number:
- MSS 26
- Holdings:
- [Request]
- Creator:
- Wales, James, 1746 or 1747–1795
- Title(s):
- James Wales diary
- Date:
- 1794 January-1795 May
- Classification:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Series:
- Series I: Diaries
- Part of Collection:
- volume 2
- Provenance:
- Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
- Conditions Governing Access:
- The collection is open without restriction.
- Conditions Governing Use:
- Copyright UndeterminedThe 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 Archives Department.
- Scope and Content:
- James Wales’s second diary is labeled, on the cover, “[memoranda relating to?] Indian Antiquities, 1794.” The book contains occasional personal reflections, and much of it concerns Wales’s travels and professional activities, such as his interactions with the Maratha court and his visits to cave temple complexes. The text begins with several draft letters, each aimed at soliciting information on excavations from English travelers. Wales notes, however, that neither letter proved any use, as neither person ended up going on their planned excursions. Wales then offers an extended reflection on the history, character, and religion of Hindus, beginning with excerpts or paraphrases from the Ain-i-Akbari, a history of Akbar’s rule written by his vizier, Abu’l Fazl ibn Mubarak. Wales discusses the “religion of the Great Brahma,” those practitioners who insist on the monotheism of Hindu practice, and the “casts of the Hindoos.” He also notes the necessity of the English government passing a proclamation “prohibiting the sacrifice of children.” Several drawings of Salsette, the island on which Mumbai (Bombay) is located, follow, along with observations of local caves—one is “mouldering away”—and instructions for the engraving of inscriptions. The discussion of cave temple complexes and the processes for illustrating them comprises much of the remainder of the book. Wales describes the material used, a stone “very beautiful and so soft to work upon with the chisel,” as well as the deities portrayed. At other points, he notes the decay caused by (in his estimation) water damage, while also writing that “architecture and sculpture so far exceeded my expectation that I could not help expressing my surprise.” His admiration stretches beyond general impressions, and he remarks on the different rooms and interiors of the caves as well: “there are four dark rooms-here of a larger size than usual and better finished. It does not seem that they have been intended as…prisons.” This latter comment may possibly refer to Robert Mabon, Wales’s assistant, who was accused of being a spy and subsequently confined to one of the caves while on a sketching expedition. The other topic for illustration that occupies Wales is the Maratha court. He writes of his interactions with the court, and, at one point, describes a conversation with one of the peshwa’s advisors, in which the advisor asked if Wales’s wife and daughter could paint. Wales concludes that “that he wanted to know if my daughter would paint the pictures of Indian Ladies. Perhaps he is not willing that they should be seen by a European man.” Elsewhere Wales records instructions to his assistants regarding images for the Maratha court, as well as those commissioned by Charles Warre Malet, the British resident. Wales also notes portraits painted for Lord Cornwallis, at that time Governor-General of India, an image referred to as “the Venus” meant for the Maratha court, and the prices of several commissioned or potential paintings. Beyond comments on specific topics, Wales also includes numerous details on his professional process. He includes prices and potential commissions, as well as notes for upcoming trips, lists of items to be purchased with prices, lists of excavations he knows of, and plans for future publications. He writes with reference to a hypothetical volume, Indian Antiquities, and at one point he records a conversation with Malet on the best way to make this project a reality. Malet suggests that the images “should be published in England under my own eye” and Wales, agreeing, in turn offers to dedicate the volume to Malet. Wales also includes brief records of letters sent relating to the project, including one to James Forbes, “giving him some hints respect my publication of Indian Antiquities.” Occasional remarks highlight the difficulty of Wales’s creative process: he complains of possible eye disease, and writes in a larger hand, “Rule[:] Finish every Picture as you go on.” Related to Wales’s professional concerns are his observations on the logistics of travel in India. In addition to recording itineraries, distances, prices, and other details of travel, he writes that “the trouble and expense of travelling in India is great.” He references Robert Mabon and Gangaram Chintaman Tambat, as well as several others—including “Josee [?] a Young Goa painter”—and lists the larger number of servants that accompany him. Travel does, however, provide some pleasures, and Wales frequently comments on the beauty of the landscape. He writes about the villages he passes through as well, asserting that most are “in a ruined condition” as due to war, “all the inhabitants who were able had fled to places of more surety … or leaving their proper occupations had followed the camp as plunderers.” Wales also references sati with relative frequency, repeatedly condemning the practice as “so horrid to human nature” and including extensive descriptions. Wales elsewhere recounts an anecdote in which Tambat, told by Wales to sketch certain temples but afraid of getting robbed (and not confident enough in his skills with a musket), ends up going to the temples naked as a way of showing that he possesses nothing of value. Alongside the narrative of cave temples and travel, lists concerning painting and logistics, and other notes, the volume contains several sketches in pen. Near the end of the book are two landscape sketches that include extensive captioning.
- Physical Description:
- 1 volume (112 pages) ; 32 x 22 cm
- Genre:
- Diaries and Notebooks
- Subject Terms:
- BritishCave templesCavesDescription and travelEllora Caves (India)India
- Associated Places:
- IndiaMumbai (India)Pune (India)
- Associated People/Groups:
- Daniell, Thomas, 1749-1840Gaṅgārāma, active 18th centuryMabon, RobertMalet, Charles Warre, 1752-1815Wales, James, 1746 or 1747-1795
- Finding Aid Title:
- James Wales archive
- Collection PDF:
- https://ead-pdfs.library.yale.edu/11766.pdf
- Archival Object:
- https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/3410860
- Metadata Cloud URL:
- https://metadata-api.library.yale.edu/metadatacloud/api/aspace/repositories/3/archival_objects/3410860?mediaType=json&include-notes=1&include-all-subjects=1