Part 1

Asiatic Gallery,

BAKER STREET BAZĀR, PORTMAN SQUARE.

GRAND MOVING DIORAMA OF HINDOSTĀN, DISPLAYING THE SCENERY OF THE HOOGLY, THE BHĀGĪRATHĪ, AND THE GANGES, FROM FORT WILLIAM, BENGAL, TO GANGOUTRĪ, IN THE HIMALAYA.

BY

_Visitors to the Diorama are allowed to inspect_ THE MUSEUM.

London: PUBLISHED AT THE ASIATIC GALLERY, BAKER STREET BAZĀR. _Price One Shilling._

Entered at Stationers’ Hall.

THE DIORAMA OF HINDOSTĀN

Has been Painted by

Mr. PHILIP PHILLIPS;

The FIGURES and ANIMALS by Mr. LOUIS HAGHE;

The SHIPPING by Mr. KNELL.

The whole of the Scenes of the Diorama have been arranged by Lieutenant Colonel LUARD, from his own original and unpublished sketches, taken during a residence of fourteen years in India; aided by the kindness of friends, who have placed at his disposal the original sketches of

The late Sir CHARLES D’OYLY, Bart., The late JAMES PRINSEP, Esq., The late Captain PRINSEP, The late Colonel EDWARD SMITH, Major WHITE, WILLIAM PRINSEP, Esq., GEORGE CHINNERY, Esq., WELBY JACKSON, Esq.,

and the Author of “Wanderings of a Pilgrim, during Four-and-Twenty Years, in the East.”

LIST OF PLATES.

NO. PAGE

1 Fort William, Bengal 9

2 Prinsep’s Ghāt 11

3 The Fakīr 16

4 Barrackpore 24

5 The Elephant Establishment 27

6 Sīckrī-Galī 32

7 The Foolish Fakīr 35

8 The Minarets 42

9 The Satī 58

10 Hurdwar 62

11 Simla—The Conical Hill 65

12 Gangoutrī 67

INTRODUCTION.

In the month of October, 1589, a body of English merchants addressed a memorial to her majesty, Queen Elizabeth, requesting licence to equip three ships for the purpose of trading to the East Indies: this request appears to have been favourably received, and in 1591 the first English commercial voyage was commenced in three vessels. It proved a disastrous one; but considerable experience was obtained, and the ardour of the English merchants was but little damped by the result.

In 1599 an association of merchant adventurers was formed in London, with a capital of 30,000_l._, for the purpose of trading “_to the East Indies and countries thereabout_;” and the royal assent was applied for and obtained to this project, “_intended for the honour of their native country, and the advancement of trade and merchandise within the realm of England_.” The Charter was dated, 31st December, 1600. This association, which may be looked upon as the foundation of the present East India Company, led to a succession of voyages more or less fortunate, which, before long, resulted in the Company obtaining establishments at various places on the coast of the Peninsula, as well as among the eastern islands. The Presidencies of Madras and Bombay were first established; but that of Bengal, although the latest, was soon rendered by circumstances the most important of the three, and is now the seat of the supreme government of India.

On the 20th December, 1687, Mr. Job Charnock, the agent for the Kossimbazār factory on the Hoogly, finding it no longer safe to remain at that place, moved down to the village of Chuttanuttee, on the present site of Calcutta, with all the ships, troops, and property, where they commenced to intrench themselves. They were afterwards forced to move down the river to Ingellee, in which pestilential climate the whole force would have been carried off, had not the Emperor Aurungzebe made overtures to Mr. Charnock and allowed him to return to Chuttanuttee. In 1691 they were allowed to form a settlement there: it increased rapidly, and was permanently fixed upon as the head-quarters of the Company’s establishments in Bengal.

Chuttanuttee occupied the site of the present native portion of the city; Govindpoor stood where the new Fort William is erected; and the European part of the city, including the site of the old Fort, is built within the precincts of Kalleeghatta, hence originated the modern appellation of Calcutta; and as the founder of that city, Mr. Job Charnock’s name will probably be remembered as long as the British Empire in India shall exist. He died in 1692, and was buried in the old Cemetery, where his tomb is yet to be seen in the old burying-ground of St. John’s Cathedral, being one of the few allowed to remain when that building was erected.

In 1695, a rebellion having broken out in Bengal, the local government applied to the Nawāb for permission to put their factories in a state of defence, and on the request not being positively refused, they hastened to erect walls of masonry, with bastions or flanking towers at the angles, round their several factories, and thus originated the fortifications of Calcutta. In 1699, Sir Charles Eyre was re-appointed to the charge of Bengal, which was then for the first time raised to the rank of a Presidency. Orders were issued that the fortifications should be strengthened and rendered regular, so as to afford a safe retreat for all their servants and property; and it was recommended to give the outline of the buildings the form of a pentagon, if possible, that being at the time considered the strongest figure of defence. In 1701–2, the court issued orders that the Fort should be made a regular pentagon with bastions, and the works be made extensive enough to accommodate all the establishments of the out-factories. In the year 1707–8, the rival interests of the “Old London” and the new “English Company” were merged into “The United Company of Merchants trading to the East Indies.”

In 1742, the Mahrattas devastated the whole province, and sacked the town of Hoogly. On this occasion, the English applied for and obtained permission to dig a ditch and throw up an intrenchment round their settlement, which, if completed, would have extended more than seven miles. When little more than three miles of the ditch were completed, finding that the Mahrattas did not advance, the work was discontinued: it was, however, always known afterwards as the Mahratta Ditch; some traces of which still remain—hence the people of Calcutta are sometimes called the Ditchers.

The Nawāb Sooraj-oo-Dowlah succeeded to the government of Bengal in 1756. He entertained the greatest dislike to the English, and determined, if possible, to expel them from the country. In June, 1756, he appeared before the factory at Kossimbazār, and the place not being tenable, it surrendered. The Nawāb advanced with expedition and attacked Calcutta, which surrendered on the 20th. Mr. Holwell, with a party amounting to 146 persons, were thrown into the Black Hole—the history of which is too well known to need repetition. The Nawāb having ransacked Calcutta, changed its name to Alīnuggur, and flattering himself he had for ever extirpated the English power, thought it unnecessary to follow up the small party of refugees assembled at Fultah. In December, 1756, an armament, under the command of Colonel Robert Clive, arrived at Fultah, and recaptured Calcutta, where they found the greater part of the merchandise that had been left there, it having been reserved for the use of the Nawāb.

DIORAMA OF HINDOSTĀN.

The subject of the Diorama which we shall have the honour to explain, is the course of the Ganges from its source to Fort William, Bengal:—its picturesque scenery, the towns and temples on its banks, the religious ceremonies, and the customs of the inhabitants, both Hindū and Musalmān, will be pourtrayed. This noble river, considered the most sacred in Hindostān, takes its rise at Gangoutrī, in the Himalaya, and issues from the mountains upon the plains near Hurdwar. It passes within a few miles of Meerut, flowing on to Furrackabad, Cawnpore, and Allahabad; at the latter, it joins the Jumna, the first river of importance with which it unites. Hence its course becomes more winding, its bed wider, and the united streams flow past Mirzapūr, Chunar, Benares, and Ghazipūr. A little above Chupra, the River Ghogra falls into the Ganges on the left bank; and below Arrah, on the opposite bank, is its junction with the Soane. At Hājīpūr, the Gunduk increases the powerful stream, which flows on and passes Patna, Monghir, Bhagulpūr, Colgong, and Rajmahal, until it reaches Gopalgunj, at which place a branch of the Ganges quits the main stream, and flowing by Sooty and Moorshedabad is called the Bhāgīrathī, until it reaches Nuddea. The main stream of the Ganges running to the eastward, joins the Berhampootra, and after its union with that river, falls into the Bay of Bengal. This, the main stream of the Ganges, is not looked upon with equal veneration by the Hindūs as the branch before-mentioned, which, flowing by Sooty and Moorshedabad, is called the Bhāgīrathī, until it reaches Nuddea, at which place it is joined by the Jellinghy, and the united currents flow on, passing Calcutta, to the island of Sāgar, under the name of the Hoogly. Prior to the commencement of the nineteenth century, the Ganges had been traced by Hindū pilgrims from Hindostān into the snowy mountains that run in a direction north-west to south-east on the frontiers of India. We will now ascend the stream, stopping, as is the custom with pilgrims, at the junction of rivers, and other sacred places, considered peculiarly holy by the Hindūs, until we reach the last shrine, Gangoutrī, the source of the Holy River.

FORT WILLIAM.

Fort William, the citadel of Calcutta, is situated on the left bank of the Hoogly, about a quarter of a mile below the town; it is a European fortification, and was called Fort William in honour of his majesty King William the Third. This Citadel was commenced by Lord Clive soon after the Battle of Plassey, which was fought in 1757; it is capable of containing 15,000 men, and the works are so extensive, that 10,000 would be required to defend them efficiently. The works do not make an imposing appearance from without, nor are they perceptible until closely approached: this excites great surprise in the natives coming from the interior, who always connect the idea of great strength with great elevation. It is of octagonal form; five of the faces are regular, while the forms of the other three next the river are according to local circumstances.

The Esplanade, Chowringhee, and the site of Fort William were, so late as 1756, a complete jungle, interspersed with a few huts, and small pieces of grazing and arable land.

The view now presented shows a part of the rampart of Fort William; the Hoogly flows beneath, Calcutta appears in the distance, stretching from Chandpaul Ghāt to Chowringhee Road; the situation of the Ghāt is marked by the high chimney of the building, containing a steam engine for raising water.

The next building in the back ground is the Bank of Bengal; the long colonnade is in front of the Supreme Court of Judicature; and to the right is the Cathedral of St. John, which stands partly on the site of the old Cemetery. In clearing away the ground for its foundation, the tomb of Mr. Job Charnock, the founder of Calcutta, was discovered: he died in 1692. The tomb of Mr. Hamilton was also found, and is now placed in the same building with that of Mr. Charnock. Mr. Hamilton was surgeon to the embassy sent to the court of the Emperor Furrookhseer, and the Company are indebted to him for having induced the Emperor to grant them many privileges, and to confirm all former ones: he died in 1717. Mr. Speke was also buried in the old Cemetery, and his tomb, with those before-mentioned, is one of the few allowed to remain there on the erection of St. John’s Cathedral, where they are still to be seen. The first stone of St. John’s Cathedral, in Council House Street, was laid on the 6th of April, 1781. On a plate of copper, graved in the stone, is the following inscription:—“The first stone of this sacred building, raised by the liberal and voluntary subscription of British subjects and others, was laid, under the auspices of the Honourable Warren Hastings, Esq., Governor-General of India, on the 6th day of April, 1784, and the thirteenth year of his Government.”

The architect was Lieutenant James Agg, of the Engineer Corps. On the 24th of June, 1787, the Church was consecrated and dedicated to St. John. Sir John Zoffani, the celebrated artist, bestowed the altar-piece, representing the Last Supper.

The Town Hall, a fine building, is rendered conspicuous by its Doric portico; it was erected by the inhabitants of Calcutta in 1804: the Government Treasury succeeds it, and in the distance is the spire of St. Andrew’s Church, in the Lall Bazār.

The Government House, the principal building in Calcutta, was erected about the year 1804, during the administration of the Marquis Wellesley; the architect was Captain Wyatt, of the Engineers. The entrances, or great gateways, are each crowned by a lion, and are continually the resting-places of the _Hargīla_, the gigantic crane, commonly called the Adjutant.

The Column on the right was erected to the memory of Major-General Sir David Auchterlony, on account of his distinguished services. It is 160 feet in height, and stands on the Esplanade in front of the town.

_Hargīlas_ or Adjutants are numerous in the Fort, and so tame, that they will allow men to pass very near them and show no signs of fear; they stalk about the Esplanade, and rest in the most picturesque manner on the highest buildings in the city.

The officer, with his bearer holding a _chatr_, or native umbrella, to protect him from the sun, is watching some monkeys; and a _griffin_, as a young cadet is called for the first year, is amusing himself with teazing one.

PRINSEP’S GHĀT.

The audience are now requested to imagine they have embarked upon the Hoogly, off Prinsep’s Ghāt, the first landing-place of importance that is met with on approaching the City of Palaces. James Prinsep, Esq., died in 1840, and his fellow-citizens in Calcutta erected this ghāt to his memory, as having been one of the leaders of science in India, the promoter of every good work, a faithful and useful public servant, and a warm and true friend. The building in the distance is St. Peter’s, the garrison Church in the Fort, and the vessel passing up the river is complimented by a salute from its battery. Beyond the flag-staff is the Semaphore, or telegraph, a high tower from which intelligence is conveyed by signals.

THE WATER GATE.

The Water Gate of Fort William is now before you, and the horsemen are on the Esplanade,—a road extending by the river side, from Chandpaul Ghāt, to Garden Reach. This is the favourite ride and drive, during the early morning and in the cool of the evening, of all the inhabitants of Calcutta. A _dinghī_, a native boat covered with matting, is going up the river, filled with _gharas_, or jars of coarse, red earthenware, used for holding water.

The Governor-General’s pleasure boat, called the _Sona makhī_, or golden fly, is moored beyond; she has beautiful accommodations, and is perfectly suited to the river and the climate. From this point is seen the Government House: the edifice is a noble one, and particularly well adapted in its plan and interior arrangements to the climate. The external view is grand and imposing, and it is a fit and proper residence for the supreme ruler of our Indian possessions. Its two entrances or gateways are shown, and the line of houses, inhabited by Europeans, in Esplanade Row, in front of which is the Auchterlony Monument.

The long line of vessels so closely moored off the bank, are boats, called Budjerows; they are commanded by a native called a _Sarhang_ or _Mānghī_, and carry 12, 14, 16, or 18 oars, and are generally used by persons going to the upper provinces.

BĀBŪ GHĀT.

This building was erected by a wealthy native gentleman, and therefore termed _Bābū_ Ghāt—the title _Bābū_, given by Hindūs, is equivalent to Mr. or to Esq., and is now as common as the latter terms are among us. Numerous small boats are crowding by the steps, and a _dinghī_ has just put off. A ferry boat with passengers is crossing from the opposite side of the river, in which a _chaukidār_, or native policeman, is conspicuous, with his sword and shield. The Bengālīs generally carry _chatrs_ (umbrellas) during the heat of the day, made of matting, or covered with red calico.

The street now visible is Esplanade Row, which runs from Chandpaul Ghāt by the Government House to Chowringhee Road; it is full of fine houses belonging to Europeans.

CHANDPAUL GHĀT.

The people are seen crowding on Chandpaul Ghāt; and the low, semicircular building at the summit, is the Police Station. The octagonal building with its long chimney contains a steam-engine, used for raising water from the river, for the supply of the town, watering the roads, &c.; but the water used for drinking and culinary purposes, is brought from the tanks by water-carriers. It is believed that this was the first steam-engine set up in Bengal. The water passes from the engine-well into a large brick-built reservoir, and from it into aqueducts constructed on one side of the road. The Bank of Bengal is on the other side of the road called the Strand, and the high pillars of its verandahs face the Esplanade.

Colvin’s Buildings appear to great advantage; they are lofty and spacious. Three merchant vessels are anchored off the Strand, and to each of their chain cables a piece of wood is attached, in a manner that prevents the water-rats from getting up them into the vessels. A native fishing-boat with her immense net fixed upon two bamboos, is making for the ghāt—perhaps bearing a freight of _Tapsi Mach_, or mango fish (so called because they come in with the mango season); hence the Hindustanī proverb, “Mangoes and fish meet of necessity.” They are the great luxury of the Calcutta epicures, who make parties to Budge-budge down the river to enjoy the mango fish, as those of London resort to Blackwall for white-bait.

From the Bankshall a red boat (No. 7) is going out with a pilot to some vessel in the river. Bankshall is said to be a Dutch name for the chief landing-place, which was afterwards converted into the East India Company’s marine and pilot depôt.

THE STEAM MILLS.

The fine buildings that now meet the eye are the Strand Mills, the property of the late Mr. Smithson, who erected them for the purpose of grinding corn by means of steam engines. It is said the speculation proved a failure, because the natives will not send their wheat to be ground in a mill in which it is mixed with the wheat of people of another caste, and with that sent by Europeans. It is the custom in Hindostan for each family to grind its own corn at home between two circular stones called _chakkī_, and this work is usually performed by the women. It was proposed to the King of Oude to erect steam mills for grinding corn in his dominions; but he refused to comply with the request, because it would throw the old women with their _chakkīs_ out of work.

On the right is a _daunā_ or donī, a country vessel, a coaster and trader, commanded by a _Sarhang_;—the crew are natives; the vessel is short, thick, clumsy, and marvellously ugly.

THE MINT.

The _Taksāl_, or Mint, a fine edifice of the Doric order, was planned and erected by Colonel Forbes, the present Mint master. The wide-ranging buildings of the new Mint, with their tall chimneys, appear to great advantage when viewed from the river. The Bengal Government set the first example of introducing extensive machinery, in the erection of the new Mint of Calcutta, which is filled with the best specimens of the skill and genius of Messrs. Watt and Co.; and the politeness of the Mint and Assay masters insures easy access to view the fine and ample machinery.

A Chinese junk on the right adds greatly to the picturesque beauty of the river, on which Arab _grabs_, and vessels from all parts of the world, are crowded together. An eye is painted on each side the bows of the Chinese junk, to enable the spirit of the vessel to see her way across the deep.

In the foreground is the hulk of a country ship under repair, beyond which are three vessels from Malacca.

BENGAL COTTAGE SCENERY.

The scene now changes to the right bank, the opposite side of the river, at sunset. On the landing-place are natives bathing, and every where the margin of the water is studded with human beings. One man is filling his _gharas_ (earthen water vessels), which he carries suspended by ropes from a bamboo poised on his shoulder. Bengalī women are bringing empty water jars to fill at the river side, and in the shade a woman is returning from the holy stream on her way to some idol, bearing on her hand a brass tray containing a small vessel filled with water, and oil, and rice, and flowers for _pūjā_—that is, worship. A _Dhobī_ is washing clothes by dipping them in the river, and beating them on a rough piece of slanting board, the custom of the washermen in the East.

The shop of a _Modī_, a grain merchant and seller of fruit, is now before you. Oranges, melons, limes, jackfruit, pummelos, pine-apples, all that is offered for sale in such abundance and at so small a price in this country are displayed at various seasons most invitingly. The fruit-seller is a very pious man, if we may judge from the pictures of the Hindū deities stuck on the wall of his shop, but which are too much in the shade to be very distinct. On the bamboo support of his thatch is a painting of Hūnūmān, the monkey god, in which he is represented bearing off on his shoulders the god Rām, and Sīta the beloved, from Ceylon: a fac-simile of this painting is in the Pilgrim’s Museum, being one of 32 paintings of the gods purchased at the Great Fair at Allahabad for one rupee!

The natives are particularly fond of pigeons: they roost during the day on a frame-work, supported on a bamboo, as here pourtrayed; and the great delight of the pigeon-fancier is to fly his flock against that of another, making his birds wheel and turn, ascend and descend, and obey his every wish, by directing their course with a long thin bamboo. You continually see men and boys of an evening standing on the house-tops, amusing themselves with flying their pigeons.

THE FAKĪR.

The group in the foreground represents a _Bābū_, a native gentleman, awaiting the cool of the evening before he enters his palanquin; an attendant is supporting a _chatr_, or native umbrella, over his head, and the bearers with the palanquin are in attendance.

In front is a Muhammadan _Fakīr_ leading a white bull fancifully adorned with peacocks’ feathers, cowrie shells, coloured worsted tassels, bits of brightly-coloured cloth, and brass bells; the plume on the top of his neck is the tail of the _yāk_, the cow of Tartary, much used in Hindostān in the adornment of holy bulls and of horses. In the back-ground is an Hindū temple, gilded by the rays of the setting sun.

The portico or entrance to the house of an opulent _Bābū_, a Bengalī gentleman, now appears; it is of native architecture, singular and handsome; the ornaments of some of the pillars are most elaborate, and it is remarkable that each has a separate design.

THE NĀCH.