in the river, carrying along
with them their most valuable effects, and the books of the company.
Thus the defence of the place devolved to Mr. Holwell, the second in
command, who, with the assistance of a few gallant officers, and a very
feeble garrison, maintained it with uncommon courage and resolution
against several attacks, until he was overpowered by numbers, and the
enemy had forced their way into the castle. Then he was obliged to
submit; and the suba, or viceroy, promised on the word of a soldier,
that no injury should be done to him or his garrison. Nevertheless, they
were all driven, to the number of one hundred and forty-six persons of
both sexes, into a place called the Black Hole Prison, a cube of
about eighteen feet, walled up to the eastward and southward, the only
quarters from which they could expect the least refreshing air, and open
to the westward by two windows strongly barred with iron, through which
there was no perceptible circulation. The humane reader will conceive
with horror the miserable situation to which they must have been
reduced, when thus stewed up in a close sultry night under such a
climate as that of Bengal, especially when he reflects that many of them
were wounded, and all of them fatigued with hard duty. Transported with
rage to find themselves thus barbarously cooped up in a place where they
must be exposed to suffocation, those hapless victims endeavoured
to force open the door that they might rush upon the swords of the
barbarians by whom they were surrounded; but all their efforts were
ineffectual; the door was made to open inwards, and being once shut
upon them, the crowd pressed upon it so strongly as to render all their
endeavours abortive; then they were overwhelmed with distraction and
despair. Mr. Holwell, who had placed himself at one of the windows,
accosted a jemmautdaar, or Serjeant of the Indian guard, and having
endeavoured to excite his compassion, by drawing a pathetic picture of
their sufferings, promised to gratify him with a thousand rupees in
the morning, if he could find means to remove one half of them into
a separate apartment. The soldier, allured by the promise of such a
reward, assured him he would do his endeavour for their relief, and
retired for that purpose, but in a few minutes returned and told them
that the suba, by whose order alone such a step could be taken, was
asleep, and no person durst disturb his repose. By this time a profuse
sweat ha