McGill Library
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A view of Bombay, from Malabar Hill, with the island of Caranjah and part of the Indian continent in the distance
Jam. Forbes, 1771
File
1 print : colour etching ; 16 x 22 cm, on sheet 24 x 31 cm
James Forbes was born in London and went to Bombay in 1765 as a writer for the East India Company. He remained there until 1784. A draughtsman and keen observer, he filled 52,000 manuscript pages with notes on the natural history, archaeology, and religious and social life of India; these were later digested into hisĀ Oriental Memoirs, published between 1813 and 1815. Forbes was also the author of the 1810 "Reflections on the Character of the Hundus and the Necessity of Converting them to Christianity." After his return to England he married Rose Gaylard (1788), and spent considerable time travelling Europe.
Hand-coloured engraving of an image by James Forbes, published by Richard Bentley, 8 New Burlington St., 1834 and engraved by James Storer. Engraving depicts panorama from Malabar Hill; trees, grass, and two groups of figures in European dress can be seen in the foreground, some buildings and a body of water by the shore. Towards the background is the bay with an island with white low buildings, tall ships on the water, and a mountainous landscape in the distance.
Gift of Madame Ethel Groffier, 2018.
Also described in the McGill library catalogue.