Charles Golding Constable (1821–1878), Sketches in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf

Charles Golding Constable (1821–1878)
Sketches in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf
two signed, eight signed with initials, eight dated 1841-1853, the majority titled
pencil and watercolour on paper
5 x 27¼in. (12.7 x 69.2cm.) and smaller
together with Charles Golding Constable's commonplace book with manuscript transcripts of passages from various printed accounts of Persia and the east, an original account of the pearl fishery at Bahrain and the salt caves on Qeshm Island, sketches of a ship at sea, the English Factory at Bandar Abbas and Laft on Qeshm Island, ownership inscription 'C. Constable / Lieut. I Navy' on the upper cover; and a 1903 Admiralty reprint of Constable and Stiffe's chart 'Asia Persian Gulf' (1860), originally published 1862, this edition with corrections to April 1903, engraving, mounted on linen, 39⅜ x 50¾in. (100 x 129.4cm.)

AN IMPORTANT COLLECTION OF EARLY DRAWINGS OF OMAN AND THE PERSIAN GULF
The drawings comprise:

OMAN
MASIRAH ISLAND, OMAN
1.
[Masirah Island, Oman, Arabian Sea] Sketched on 27 or 28 of January onboard the Palimurus
inscribed as titled, with topographical annotations on the lower edge
pen and ink and watercolour on paper, on two joined sheets
5 x 27¼in. (12.7 x 69.2cm.)

MUSCAT, OMAN
2.
H.C. Sloop of war Coote bound to Maskat in July
signed with initials 'C.G.C.' (lower left), numbered '264' (lower right), inscribed as titled on the reverse
pen and ink and grey wash on paper
7¾ x 10⅝in. (19.7 x 27cm.)
The E.I.C. sloop war Coote is recorded in the Gulf in November 1843 (see The Persian Gulf Pilot, London, 1862, p.7)

3.
Maskat - A ship entering the cove [Muscat]
signed with initials, inscribed as titled 'Maskat - A ship entering the cove. C.G.C.' (lower left), and numbered '30' and '258' (lower right)
pen and ink and watercolour on paper
10 x 13⅞in. (25.4 x 35.3cm.)

4.-5.
Maskat Point W. 1/2 N. about 22 m.; and Ras Aboo Dahood SbE 1/4 E. about 12m [Muscat]
both inscribed as titled, numbered '6', and '17' respectively. The first titled on the reverse, the second further inscribed
pencil on oatmeal paper
2¼ x 9⅛in. (5.8 x 23.2cm.)
3½ x 9⅛in. (8.9 x 23.2cm.)
two in common mount (2)

6.
Maskat Cove [Muscat]
numbered '271' (lower right), inscribed with colour notes on the reverse
pencil on paper
4⅜ x 7⅛in. (11.1 x 18.1cm.)

7. Near Maskat. Castle of Mohomed Salmin's The Imaum of Maskats uncle. Built in 1841. Taken from the top of the House erected for the use of travellers near the Hot Springs at the back of ... [Muscat]
signed with initials and numbered 'C.G.C. 252' (lower right), inscribed as titled on the reverse
pencil, pen and ink and grey wash on paper
10¼ x 14in. (26 x 35.6cm.)

8.
Country House of Mohammed Seid Hussan, nephew of the Imaum of Maskat, near the hot springs about 15m west of Maskat. July 26th, 1843 [Muscat]
signed with initials 'C.G.C.' (lower left), numbered '260' (lower right), inscribed as titled on the reverse, dated on the reverse
watercolour on paper
7⅜ x 9½in. (18.8 x 24.1cm.)

9.
Devils gap Dec. 18th Sunset 1844 - Bearg. S. 77° W. Was at Mascat Dec. 10th 1844 then went to Morebat on a fortnight's survey[Muscat]
numbered '5' (lower right), inscribed as titled on the reverse
watercolour on paper
4¼ x 7¼in. (10.8 x 18.4cm.)

MUSANDAM PENINSULA, OMAN
10.
6th May, Morning 1851. At the bottom of a deep little cove called Doohah Sersowey ...
indistinct remains of a title (upper right), inscribed as titled and further inscribed on the reverse, numbered '4' (lower right),
pencil and watercolour on paper
8¾ x 14¾in. (22.3 x 37.5cm.)

11.
Sketch taken at the village of Shem in the Khaur es Shem (Elphinstone's Inlet) [Khor Ash Sham, the inner inlet of Khasab Bay]
topographical annotations 'Ras Bukkur' (lower left) and 'Jebel Seydimmy' (upper right), inscribed as titled and further inscribed on the reverse
pencil and watercolour on paper
8¾ x 1115⁄16in. (22.3 x 30.1cm.)

12.
Persian Gulf - Arabs Fishing. This sketch was taken in the boat when about half way up the Khaur Es Shem (called on the English chart Elphinstone's Inlet) the great hill on the left is Jebel es Seybee, at the foot of which lies the little village of Seybee [Khor Ash Sham, the inner inlet of Khasab Bay]
topographical annotation 'Jebel Seybee' (lower left), inscribed as titled on the reverse
pencil, pen and ink, and watercolour on paper, on two joined sheets
5½ x 16¼in. (13.9 x 41.2cm.)

13.
Nook we slept in shewing Sharp Peak
inscribed as titled, signed with initials 'C.G.C.' on the paper overlap, numbered '266' on the mount
pencil and watercolour on paper
7¾ x 6⅞in. (19.8 x 17.1cm.)
There is a pencil sketch of ruins on a hillside on the reverse

14.
Kuchul or Chukeyat, A rock lying a small 1/2 mile to the Northd of Moosendom Is. ...
numbered '272' (lower right), inscribed as titled, and further inscribed on the reverse
pencil and watercolour on paper
4 x 7¾in. (10.1 x 19.6cm.)

15.
Study of a ruin from a ... Acbar Sep. 22nd. 46 [possibly Al Aqah, Fujairah?]
signed and numbered 'C Constable / del / 269' (lower right), indistinctly inscribed as titled on the reverse
pen and ink and grey wash on paper
7 x 4⅞in. (17.8 x 12.4cm.)

THE PERSIAN GULF
QUESHM AND HORMUZ ISLANDS, STRAIT OF HORMUZ, PERSIA
16.
Basadore [Basaidu, Queshm Island, Iran]
inscribed as title, signed with initials 'C.G.C.', and numbered '263' (lower right)
pencil, pen and ink and watercolour on paper
7¼ x 10¼in. (18.4 x 26cm.)

17.
Persian Gulf - Basadore point June 26 1853 H.C. Brig Euphrates - Commodores house on the point [Basaidu, Queshm Island, Iran]
inscribed as titled, and numbered '259' (lower right), signed(?) 'by C.G.Constable' on the reverse
pencil, pen and ink and watercolour on paper
8⅞ x 11⅞in. (22.6 x 30.1cm.)

18.
Linga. Persian Gulf [Bandar Lengeh, Iran]
inscribed as titled
pencil and watercolour on paper
5 x 8in. (12.7 x 20.3cm.)

19.
Fort of Ormuz W.b.S. 1/2 S about one mile
inscribed as titled, and numbered '262' (lower right)
pencil, pen and ink and watercolour on paper
8¼ x 14½in. (20.9 x 36.8cm.)
20.

BUSHEHR, IRAN
Boushire (1841) [Bushehr, Iran]
inscribed as titled, numbered '267' on the mount
pencil, pen and ink and watercolour on paper
4½ x 7⅛in. (10.8 x 18.1cm.)

21.
Bushire in one with Halilah Hill Northn end of the town Bearg. E.S.E. Mahi March 26th 1841.[Bushehr, Iran]
annotated 'E.S.E.' (upper left), numbered '268' on the mount, inscribed as titled on the reverse,
pen and ink and watercolour on paper
3⅜ x 8¼in. (8.6 x 21cm.)

22.-23.
Shipping in a swell; and Str Berenice
the second inscribed as titled (lower centre)
pencil on paper
each 3 x 4¼in. (7.6 x 10.8cm.)
two in common mount (2)

24.
Shifting round in the S.E. at Karrack [Jazireh-ye Khark, Kharg Island, Iran]
inscribed as titled, and numbered '126' (lower right), signed with initials and numbered 'C.G.C. / 126' on the mount
pencil, pen and ink on pale blue paper
4 x 6⅛in. (10.1 x 15.5cm.)

25.
Sketch on Kenn Is. Mahi at anchor on the N.E. side - Friday May 7th 1841. [Kish Island, Kish, Iran]
numbered '29' on the mount, inscribed as titled on the reverse
pencil, pen and ink and watercolour on paper
313⁄16 x 5⅛in. (9.7 x 14.3cm.)

26.
Bagala taking shelter during a North Easter
numbered '256' (on the mount)
watercolour and scratching out on paper
5¼ x 5¾in. (13.3 x 14.6cm.)

BAHRAIN
27.
Ruined mosque at Bahreyn - Persian Gulf [Khamis Mosque, Bahrain]
inscribed as titled, and numbered '254' on the mount
pen and ink and watercolour on paper
5 x 7in. (12.7 x 17.8cm.)

INDIA
28.
The Buckinghamshire with three anchors ahead in the hurricane at Bombay 1837 [Mumbai, India]
with inscription as titled, numbered '261' on the mount
watercolour with scratching out on paper
5 x 8in. (12.7 x 20.3cm.)

29.
Munharo point & Fort Karrachee [Manora Point and Fort, Karachi, Pakistan]
signed with initials 'C.G.C.', titled, and numbered '255' on the mount
pencil and watercolour on paper
5 x 9in. (12.7 x 22.8cm.)

CHARLES (CHARLEY) GOLDING CONSTABLE
I wish Charley well at sea – for his own sake. He is an extraordinary boy and if his genius does not destroy him it will be the making of him – but my fear is more than my hope!
John Constable, R.A.

The third child of John Constable, R.A., Charles Golding Constable went to sea as a fourteen-year-old, sailing on East Indiamen before joining the Indian Navy in 1839, his bases at Bombay and Karachi. As evidenced by the present drawings, he was in the Persian Gulf as early as 1841 (drawings 20, 21 at Bushehr, 25 at Kish Island) and at Muscat in 1843 to early 1844 on the E.I.C. sloop of war Coote (drawings 2, 8 and 9). His work as a surveyor began assisting Captain Saunders and the Palimurus's survey of the south east coast of the Arabian Peninsula in 1844-45 (for his fine coastal profile of Masirah Island see drawing 1): 'Arrived Muskat December 10th and obtained a pilot and interpreter, we sailed along the coast of Arabia until we arrived at Morebat and there we stopped about a fortnight making a careful survey of the place [see drawing 9 'Was at Mascat Dec. 10th 1844 then went to Morebat on a fortnight's survey']. We then moved along the coast anchoring at every 8 or 10 miles apart and surveying as we went, in this way we have completed about 100 miles and have visited towns and places never before (as far as we can learn) visited by Europeans.' (letter from Aden, 10 December [1844] quoted in the Grindlays Bank exhibition catalogue pp.4-5). He was engaged in the survey of the west coast of India between 1851 and 1856, but his particular area of interest remained the Arabian Gulf, iterated in his paper read before the Bombay Geographical Society in February 1856 which pointed out 'a mass of inaccuracies' in the British survey of the Gulf made in 1821-28. He was subsequently given command of the surveying ship attached to the Persian Expeditionary Force at the outbreak of the Anglo-Persian War in November 1856, and undertook a survey of Bushehr after it was taken and occupied by the British forces. He returned to...