#664 British Martini-Henry Mark I/II..This very early (1873) Martini-Henry rifle is in very nice condition and all original and complete with original cleaning rod and original sling. This rifle has an obviously interesting and historic history sporting a Fort William Armory cartouche as well as markings for upgrade from Mark I to Mark II and later markings showing transfer from British service to Nepalese service as part of the 1894 British-Nepalese agreement to supply sufficient arms to the Nepalese. Since this rifle was originally a Mark I and in service with British troops for about 20 years prior to the Nepalese agreement, this rifle could well have participated in the African (Zulu) expeditions as well. The rifle is in fine condition, with strong action and an excellent bore and there is no doubt that it would make a fine and accurate shooter to compliment its clear, strong collectability. Fort William: Completed in 1781 to serve as an impregnable fort at Maidan, Fort William, named after King William III, now serves as the Military Head quarters of the Eastern Command, which can accommodate a garrison of 10,000 men and has huge green expanse giving lung space to a chocked city. After the events of 1756, the British decided there would be no repetition of the attack on the city and set out to replace the original Fort William. First they cleared out the inhabitants of the village of Govindpur and in 1758 laid the foundations of a fort, which was completed in 1781 at an expense of 2 million British pounds. The fort is still in use today and visitors are allowed inside only with special permission. The area cleared around Fort William became the Maidan, the ?lungs? of modern Calcutta, stretching 3 km north to south and is over a km wide.The Structure: The Fort is a brick-and-mortar structure built in the shape of an irregular octagon surrounding 5 square km of which five sides look landward and three on the river, surrounded by a fosse 9 meter deep and 15 meter broad which can be flooded in times of emergency. There are six gates Chowringhee, Plassey Calcutta, Water gate St Georges and Treasury Gate. A telephone office, recreation club, canteen, cinema hall, restaurant, swimming pool and wide moat surround it. For the tourist, there is a museum housing arms and armours, swords, muskets and machine guns. Another section has photographs of the Burma campaign and of the Bangladesh Liberation War. The Arsenal inside is worth visiting with a prior permission required from the Commanding Officer.See also: http://www.indianetzone.com/5/fort_william__kolkatta.htm