Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 6.djvu/204

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii a. VL A. 31, 1912.


1 894. Macdonell was a member of the Bengal Civil Service 1850-86, and Judge of the High Court 1874-86. He won the Cross in the course of a gallant effort made from Patna to relieve the defenders of " the Little House at Arrah," 1857.

Earl of Mayo. Richard Southwell, Earl of Mayo (1822-72), Viceroy and Governor- General of India. Equestrian. Bronze. By T. Thornycroft. On an island site at the junction of the diagonal cross-roads of the maidan east of the Red Road, facing south- west. Unveiled by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, 1 Jan., 1876. The Earl was assas- rsinated by a convict at Port Blair 8 Feb., 1872. " The People of India, mourning and indignant, raise this Statue."

Another statue is at Jeypore.

A memorial window (a masterpiece by Sir E. Burne-Jones) is in St. Paul's Cathe- dral, Calcutta.

Mercury. A conventional bronze figure of Mercury stood for many years on a terminal pedestal of the maidan balustrade .at the Chowringhee end of the Secretary's Walk (town side), nearly opposite the United Service Club. Graceful and of rather more than life size, it failed somewhat to fit in with its environment, being dwarfed by its surroundings in the wide open space in which it was a prominent object. During the cold season of 1905-6 the course of the balustrade was slightly altered, as a result of traffic requirements in the vicinity of a tramway, and the figure was not replaced. A more suitable site for it was subsequently found in the grounds of "Belvedere," the official residence of the Lieutenant - Governor at Alipore. Mention of this decorative work of art may, perhaps, be considered out of place here. It is made, however, in the hope that some information of the earlier history of a well-remembered feature of Chowringhee at its most attractive point may be forthcoming. Mercury of " Belvedere " is, however, not the only representative of the classics who has pub- licly adorned Calcutta. The dome of Govern- ment House was originally surmounted by .a colossal statue of Britannia (vide William Wood's ' Esplanade Row,' 1833, and other

early views). This figure was struck by lightning on 30 March, 1838, when Lord Auckland was Governor-General, and was afterwards demolished.

Napier of Magda,la. Robert Cornelis Napier, Baron Napier of Magdala (1811-90),

  • Officiating Governor-General 1863 on the


death of the Earl of Elgin, Commander-in- Chief in India 1870-76. Equestrian. Bronze. By Sir Edgar Boehm, R.A. On circular island grass plot on maidan to south of the Fort, near the end of the Strand Road, facing Prinsep's Ghat. Erectgd by public sub- scription. He was in command of the Abyssinian Expedition of 1867.

A replica is in Waterloo Place, London, and a marble memorial in the crypt of St. Paul's, London.

Earl of Northbrook. Thomas George Bar- ing, Earl of Northbrook (1826-1904), X 7 iceroy and Governor-General of India 1872-6. Bronze. By Sir Edgar Boehm. On maidan facing main entrance to High Court. In- scriptions in English, Bengali, Persian, and Hindi record its erection by public sub- scription.

The Ochterlony Monument. A fluted ma- sonry column standing on the maidan to the south of Esplanade East. It is about

152 ft. in height, and from the summit may be obtained a commanding panoramic view in all directions. The most prominent landmark of Calcutta, it was erected in 1828 by public subscription, at a cost of about 35,000 rupees, to the memory of Major - General Sir David Ochterlony. Baronet (1758-1825). "The Conqueror of Nepaul." An internal staircase of Chunar stone leads to two galleries, on one of which, at the top of the shaft, about 145 ft. above the ground, it is on record that a dinner-party was held to celebrate its completion. " an unique and hilarious function " which did not terminate till 9 o'clock at night. The foundations are of sal logs, and the order of architecture is debased an Egyptian plinth, a Syrian column, and a Turkish cupola conspiring to make a tall and imposing whole. The monument was menaced by Lord Curzon, who, when considering the site for the Victoria Memorial Hall, at one time decided to place the Hall where the monument now stands. Public opinion being adverse to the idea, his lordship abandoned it. This monument and the K'tub Minar at Delhi bear witness to the

ulf separating the artistic instincts of tho Englishman and the Moghal.

A bust is in the cornice of the Inner Court of the India Office.

Sir James Outram. Lieut. -General Sir James Outram, Baronet (1803-63). Bronze. Equestrian. By J. H. Foley, R.A. On large island site approximately at the junc- tion of Park Street and Chowringhee, facing west to the Secretary's Walk. Unveiled