WD4134

Album (ff.1-18) containing drawings of the voyage out to India and life at the military station at Cannanore.

Album 13.2 by 21.7 cm.

Inscribed on cover: ‘Sketches by; Lieutt. John Head Shadforth 57th Regiment Cannonore Madras Presidency, he died at Calicut (on his Birthday) 6 May 1838 aged 33’.

Note: According to records of British regiments in India, Shadforth died at Calcutta, not Calicut.

f.1 ‘The Duke of Buccleugh Scudding before a Nor-Wester’.

Pencil.

f.2 ‘A perspective view of my Cabin which I had in coming from England’.

Water-colour.

f.3 ‘A small brown Albatross, Cape pigeons etc.’

Water-colour over pencil.

f.4 ‘Sept. 14th 1833 killed in S. Lat 33° 13” E. Long 72° 25”. Measured 12 ft from tip to tip and was a very old Albatross’.

Water-colour over pencil.

f.5 ‘Intended for the general species of Albatross’.

Water-colour over pencil.

f.6 ‘The Mosula or country boat used at Madras for going thro’ the surf - they are sewed with a tough sort of skin generally’.

Water-colour over pencil.

f.7 ‘An Idea of the Madras bullock bandy, the bullocks are decorated with gaudy colours during the Punjali or in fact during all feasts’.

Water-colour over pencil.

Note: ‘Pangal’ is the festival celebrated throughout Southern India at the winter solstice.

f.8 ‘The Indian Antelope, I had the original brought into my room alive to copy they are not very large’.

Water-colour over pencil.

f.9 ‘A very rough sketch of my Palanquin’.

Water-colour over pencil.

f.10 ‘A specimen of the bullock carriage used at Cannanore the Surat bullocks are the best and run quick’.

Water-colour.

f.11 ‘This is meant to represent a Bungalow I lived in on first arriving at Cannanore, I have now left if for a better’.

Water-colour with pen and ink.

f.12 ‘The woman with the water is called a Ponicateh, the other Ayé for white children’.

Pen and ink.

f.13 ‘A sort of buffalo cow, the blacks only use their milk which they make into ghee a coarse kind of butter’.

Pen and ink.

f.14 ‘This is meant for my horse Rattle, Mustard and myself - all are spoilt’.

Water-colour.

f.15 ‘A sketch of our little Cantonment Church, as seen from my bungalow’.

Water-colour over pencil.

f.16 ‘The munge birds, I forget the name of the little one, there are such swarms of small birds of every colour’.

Water-colour over pencil.

f.17 ‘Tame Elephants which are used to carry the soldiers Tents on the March, as well as stores of Commissariat’.

Water-colour.

f.18 ‘Major Aubin who has just wheeled our regt into line from open column, on our private morning Parade’.

Pencil and wash.

Note: Major Philip Aubin, HM 75th Foot.