The Coming-on of the Monsoons;-or-the re-treat from Seringapatam, 6 December 1791
Scope and Contents
Created by James Gillray. Cornwallis, [It has been suggested that he is William Monson (1760-1807), then serving under Cornwallis, but as a captain in the 52nd he was not of sufficient note in England for caricature and Cornwallis's star removes all doubt of his identity. 'Monsoon' is not a pun] mounted on an ass, flees terror-stricken from a fortess (right) from behind the battlements of which the grinning Tipu Sultan, holding a sabre, urinates a devastating stream upon the fleeing British soldiers (right). Two cannon belch fire and smoke from loopholes. Cornwallis, wearing his Garter star, gallops past the bodies of dead soldiers, he drops his sabre and his reins, holding up his arms; his hat flies off. His ass is muzzled by a long nose-bag. Beneath the design is etched: 'Whats the matter Falstaff - Whats the matter! here be Four of us, have taken a City this morning - where is it? - where is it? Where is it? taken from us it is; a hundred Thousand, upon poor Four of us, I am a rogue, if I was not at half-sword with a Thousand of them for two hours together, I have escaped by miracle, I am eight times thrust through the doublet, four through the hose, my buckler cut through & through, my Sword hack'd like a hand-saw, I never dealt better since I was a man: all would not do!'. Hand-coloured etching. Description from the British Museum.
Dates
- Creation: 6 December 1791
Conditions Governing Access
Available by appointment in our Reading Room
Extent
1 Item(s)
Language of Materials
English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and Archives Repository
Western Bank Library
University of Sheffield
Western Bank
Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 2TN United Kingdom
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