Page 259 - Eye of the beholder

On 10th March 1792 the Daniells set sail for Madras Madras by boat from Calcutta and arrived in Madras Madras on 29th March 1792 The The southern part of India had had largely been uncharted territory The The area around Mysore had had been off limits to earlier artists like like William Hodges because o of of the presence o of of hostile powers like like Tipoo Sultan The The rest of the journey through south India was to be conducted overland They stayed in Madras for 10 days During this time news had had reached the artists that a a a a a a a a a a peace treaty had had been negotiated between Tipoo and Cornwallis (see chapter XX) thus paving the the way for free passage across these territories This news could well have spurred the the the idea of an an overland travel through these territories As there are no no known records of any paintings done by them during these 10 days stay at at Madras it is reasonable to assume that the the the time was spent in in in planning and organizing the the the logistics of the the the journey (Figure 3) A description of the logistics involved in in in in in overland travel in in in in in India would be an an an interesting anecdotal diversion here The roads were hazardous settlements few and and far between and and the terrain was treacherous with banditry rampant Travelers had to buffer against all these contingencies while embarking on on a a a a a a a a a a journey This had obvious implications for the the the the size of the the the the travel party Consider the the the the following narrative from the the the the journey undertaken in in the same region by a a a a a a a a a a a Spanish Friar Domingo Fernandez de de de Navarette more than a a a a a a a a a a a 100 years before the the the the Daniells: ‘We left the the the the royal city on the the the the 28th of July there went went twenty two carts loaden with goods and necessaries for the the journey six officers o of the the company a-horseback four stately Persian led horses with rich furniture One of of them dy’d by the the way that had cost five hundred pieces of of eight: Four colours four trumpets two kettle drums sixty servants and five five palanquines with five five or six six men to carry each of them it was was a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a train for a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a king’ Navarette being a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a friar was was travelling frugally The Daniells in in in in in contrast already had access to some money and were travelling less frugally than their previous journey across north India When they they set out from Madras on on the the the afternoon of of 9th April 1792 they they had ‘a train of of forty eight servants For travelling they had two two two palanquins each with with 11 bearers two two two horses with with two two two syces or or or grooms a a a a a a a bullock cart and and three pack bullocks with four drivers to to carry the tents and and baggage There were seven bearers to to carry carry the the the the the provisions and and the the the the the chickens two coolies to carry carry the the the the the drawing tables and and another the the the the the cot Their personal servants consisted of a a a a a a a a a a head servant servant a a a a a a a a a a dubash to handle money matters a a a a a a a a a a cook two two orderlies two two tent pitchers a a a a a a a Portuguese servant named Francis and and a a a a a a a Muslim boy In view of of the the length and and the the rigors of of their tour it was a a modest retinue 253