312 G A N G E T 1 C H I N D O O S T A N. 



of the manners of the inhabitants. I remember feeing at 

 Mr. Hodges a picture of a fine country-feat. I took it for the 

 houfe of fome 'Englijlj7nan of high rank in our own country, 

 till I fpied in the grounds an -elephant, which marked the place 

 it belonged to. 



"New Citadel. The citadel was built immediately after the battle of Plajfey, 

 on a fcale fo large as to render it ufelefs. To garrifon it is re- 

 quired an army fufficient to take the field, and face an enemy 

 without the proteition of fortifications. The river has fize and 

 depth enough to bring up to the very city fliips of any burden 

 which trade to India. But I do not read that Calcutta received 

 any infult by land or water till the year 1756, when it was taken 

 by Surajab DowJah, after a very flight defence, occafioned by 

 the weaknefs of the garrifon, and the bafe defertion of the 

 place by the governor, Mr. Drake. The few who were taken 

 were, by the Nabob, ordered (in general) to be fecured for the 

 night. They were by the unfeeling fbkliery driven into a 

 common dungeon, which in one of the hotteit nights of the 



BiACK Hole. country produced the well known tragedy of the black hole at 

 Calcutta ; a hundred and twenty-fix of the unhappy prifoners 

 ' periflied before morning, among whom were feveral of the 

 gentlemen of the failory. Surajah Dozvlah had fondly flattered 

 himfelf with the certamty of immediately expelling the E?ig' 

 liJJj out of Bengal, but he wanted the experience and the abili- 

 ties of his predecefTor. Surajah Dowlah was -ambitious, cruel, 

 avaricious, weak, capricious, and profligate. Colonel Clive was 

 fent to retrieve the affairs of the diflrefTed colony. He em- 

 barked at Madras with fuch forces as could be colleded toge- 

 ther. 



