Lot Essay
In the period between 19 and 26 January 1790, the Daniells explored a number of sites of archaeological interest in the region of Ramgarh, between the Ganges and Son rivers, to the west of Sasaram. In the village of Tunya they reported seeing a statue of the god Ram which, though broken, they calculated must have been over nine feet high - a most unusual piece. They passed through Bhagwanpur on 25 January. This image is unusual as one of the few pure landscapes made by the Daniells on the Gangetic plain: without any architectural element, the composition is one of interlocking hills. The terrain was fairly wild, and they were alarmed to find tracks of a tiger; they actually encountered some bears, though in this case it was the animals who appeared more frightened. The roads, too, made for difficult going:
'At the ghaut [pass] we found it difficult for our horses to descend, on account of a lofty rock, which was all but perpendicular and greatly embarrassed our progress. We searched for another path, but could find none: in spite, therefore, of the precipitous nature of the descent, we had no alternative but to attempt it, and fortunately, after much toil, succeeded in reaching the bottom without accident (The Oriental Annual, 1835, p.205).
'At the ghaut [pass] we found it difficult for our horses to descend, on account of a lofty rock, which was all but perpendicular and greatly embarrassed our progress. We searched for another path, but could find none: in spite, therefore, of the precipitous nature of the descent, we had no alternative but to attempt it, and fortunately, after much toil, succeeded in reaching the bottom without accident (The Oriental Annual, 1835, p.205).