
Gangotri, the holy shrine of Mahadeo by James Baillie Fraser - 1820

The town of Rampore by James Baillie Fraser - 1820

This coloured aquatint was made by Robert Havell and Son from plate 5 of JB Fraser's 'Views in the Himala Mountains'. Fraser and his brother William reached Rampur, the capital of Bushair State in the Himalayan foothills, on 12 June 1815. It was an important trading place for cashmere wool and was situated on the banks of the river Sutlej, which was crossed by the precarious rope bridge seen in the bottom left corner.
Crossing the Touse by James Baillie Fraser - 1820

Village & Castle of Bumpta by James Baillie Fraser - 1820

The ridge and fort of Jytock by James Baillie Fraser - 1820

This coloured aquatint was made by Robert Havell and son from plate 4 of JB Fraser's 'Views in the Himala Mountains'. A hill in the Nahan area of Himachal Pradesh, Jaitak was crowned with a fortress built by the Nepalese general Ranajor Thapa in 1810. It was the scene of one of the fiercest battles of the Anglo-Nepal War, when General Ranajor retreated there from Nahan. Fraser witnessed the beginning of the Siege of Jaithak; it was during his time there, he explained in his journal, that "the Devil of Drawing broke loose there was no holding him". He added: "When at Jytock with General Martindell's Army, I got seized with a desire to delineate some of the objects that there met our view and the first impulse was in an odd place, in our Batteries, when really it was not quite pleasant for the Enemies Shot were playing over our heads quite briskly."
The valley of the Jumna with two grand peaks of Bunderpooch by James Baillie Fraser - 1820

This aquatint was made by Robert Havell and Son from plate 8 of JB Fraser's 'Views in the Himala Mountains'. This snowy Himalayan massif is known as the Bandarpunch or Monkey's Tail. It is 6316 metres high. The source of the great river Yamuna lies here.
On his arrival in the river valley Fraser decided to journey on to the source. He wrote: "After a succession of ascents and descents of various importance in a space of twelve miles and a half we reached the ridge ... and saw the River Jumna winding far below us like a silver line in the deep dark hollow of its bed."
Jumnotree, the source of the River Jumna by James Baillie Fraser - 1820

Byramghattee by James Baillie Fraser - 1820

Arriving here on 19 July 1815, James wrote: "A very singular and terrible place. The course of the river has continued foaming through its narrow rocky bed and the hills approach their heads, as though they could meet at a prodigious height above. At this point the Bhagiruttee is divided into two branches; that which preserves the name descends from the eastward, and the other, of a size fully equal, called the Jhannevie, joins it from the north-east. Both these rivers run in chasms, the depth, narrowness and rugged wildness of which it is impossible to describe."
Source: British Library
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