294 
On the Introduction of Lithography into India . 
[Oct. 
Oriental character, a thing yet only partially effected with type*. Having given 
utterance to my thought, my friend replied, that the same idea had often struck him, 
but that he doubted whether the extreme heat of the. climate would not prove an in- 
surmountable obstacle to its successful practice in the East, and that, were it even 
otherwise, the introduction would be attended with too much labour, and too much 
expense to permit him to engage in the project. He then threw off some impres- 
sions from highly finished works, both of writing and of drawing, with which I 
was greatly delighted ; and in fact, the more I saw of the capabilities of the art, the. 
more 1 felt impressed with the desire to impart, it to India. In the course of the 
evening it was finally arranged, thatgiving up all idea of my projected tour of visits, 
as well as of every other recreation or pursuit, I should immediately commence the 
study of Lithography under Mr. Forrester, and having obtained from him a compe- 
tent knowledge of the art, that I should immediately embark for India. In pursu- 
ance of this resolution, after properly qualifying myself, I purchased the requisite 
apparatus, and sailed for Calcutta, where I arrived in 1 822. 
You will readily believe, that on ray landing here, my first inquiries were direct- 
ed to learn how far, if at all, 1 had been anticipated in my project, and whether Li- 
thography had been yet practised as an art in this country. And you may estimate 
the satisfaction with which I learned, that I was the first in the field, and had no 
competitor to dispute with me the merit, (whatever that may be,) of first introducing 
an art so admirably suited to the circumstances and condition of the country. Some 
days afterwards, however, on showing some of my productions to the late l)r. Jamie- 
son, he, although approving of them, expressed his fears, as many of my friends had 
done at home, that the art could never be practised in India with any thing like effi- 
ciency, adding that M. Savignac had been making some attempts hut without success. 
I immediately called upon M. Savignac to ascertain exactly what progress lie had 
made. I found that he had taken a solitary impression of a chalk sketch of a head, the 
stone having, by the injudicious pressure used, been broken. He had reunited the 
tw o pieces by means of a cement, and had made another sketch. All this had been 
done with materials received from Europe, he being entirely ignorant of the method 
of preparing them, the real secret of the art. In short he knew nothing of Litho- 
graphy, not even the most elementary part of its processes ; as an instance, I may 
mention, that long after the period I am speaking of, lie would sometimes etch a 
fine drawing that had cost weeks of labour with pure nitric acid, and finding that 
rather too powerful lie dispensed with acid altogether, failing thus iu both cases. 
How then can it be said, that he was the first to introduce Lithography in- 
to India? So far from it that he was not himself in possession of the art, he 
never even thought of any thing beyond a chalk drawing. And I do not believe 
that he is at this day a lithographer. Before he possessed a press, I was studying 
the art, with a view to practise every branch of it in India that is practised in Eu- 
rope. I had embarked my property in the scheme ; had sacrificed all my private 
arrangements, and had at last reached this country, a proficient iu the art, with a 
most effective apparatus, not only before he had done any thing, but even before 
he had himself acquired, what it would appear from a "statement recently pub- 
lished, he had been the first to impart to others. And that I was the first to 
apply, or even think of applying Lithography to the printing of Oriental characters, 
one of its most important applications, is, I believe, a statement that no one can 
controvert. 
Soon after my interview with M. Savignac, the Governor General honoured 
me with a private audience, and 1 then took the opportunity of proposing the esta- 
blishment of a Lithographic press for executing Government work. Mr. Adam 
acknowledged that lie was quite unacquainted with the nature of the art, but judging 
from my descriptions he was pleased to express a wish that it should be brought 
before Government in a public shape. I immediately drew up a prospectus; stating 
the advantages to be expected in the formation of a Government Lithographic esta- 
blishment ; and a committee was immediately ordered to enquire into and report on 
my proposition. 
The opinion ofthe committee was highly favourable to the plan, and Government, 
in consideration of their unqualified approbation of the measure, determined to es- 
tablish a lithographic press, and to give me the superintendence of it. My labours 
now became more arduous than ever, for I had to instruct subordinate agents in all 
* In the case of the Nishki, Nagri, and Bengali characters. Of these the two 
last are perhaps best suited to type. The elegant Is'astalik can have justice done 
it only by Lithography. 
