2 
THE INDIAN MUSEUM: 1814-1914. 
premises erected at the corner of Park Street on land granted 
by Government. Six years later, definite effort was made to 
give effect to the intention to establish a Museum, when, on 
the 2nd February, 1814 Dr. Nathaniel Wallich, a Danish 
Botanist, who had been taken prisoner at the siege of Seram- 
pur but released in recognition of his scientific attainments, 
wrote a letter to the Society in which he strongly advocated 
the formation of a Museum and offered not only to act as 
Honorary Curator but also to supply duplicates from his own 
valuable collection to form a nucleus. The proposal found 
ready acceptance with the members of the Society, and it was 
determined to establish a Museum to be divided into two sec¬ 
tions, one which would now be called archaeological, ethno¬ 
logical and technical, the other geological and zoological. The 
Librarian of the Society was placed in charge of the former 
section, while Dr. Wallich was appointed Superintendent of the 
latter. The scope of the Museum was defined in the widest 
possible terms, as an institution for the reception of all articles 
that might be sent to illustrate oriental manners and history, 
or to elucidate the peculiarities of Art or Nature in the East. 
Contributions were invited and specimens were solicited so 
that the Museum might include ‘'inscriptions on stone or 
brass, ancient monuments, Hindu or Mahomedan, figures of 
Hindu deities, ancient coins, ancient manuscripts, instru¬ 
ments of war’peculiar to the East, instruments of music, 
vessels used in religious ceremonies, implements of native art 
and manufacture, animals peculiar to India, dried or pre¬ 
served, skeletons or particular bones of such animals, birds 
stuffed or preserved, dried plants and fruits, mineral or 
vegetable preparation peculiar to Eastern Pharmacy, ores of 
metals, native alloys of metals, minerals of every description,” 
and other like articles serviceable to history and science. 
The Museum thus inaugurated thrived rapidly under the 
guidance of its enthusiastic founder Dr. Wallich, and indivi¬ 
dual collectors, amongst whom may be mentioned Col. Stuart, 
Dr. Tytler, General Mackenzie, Mr. Brian Hodgson, Capt. 
Dillon and Babu Ramkamal Sen, readily placed at the 
disposal of the Society interesting and curious objects col¬ 
lected from various parts of the country. After the resigna- 
