18 CONQUEST OF BENGAL. 



The Indian army, in the first occupation of Fort William, 

 did not commit any outrage ; but when the nabob entered, 

 accompanied by his general Meer Jaffier, he sent for Mr. 

 Holwell, and burst into violent reproaches at his having 

 attempted to defend the place against the ruler of Bengal. 

 He expressed also the most extreme dissatisfaction at 

 finding in the treasury only the small sum of 50,000 

 rupees. Yet, after three interviews, he dismissed him 

 with assurances, on the word of a soldier, that no harm 

 should be done him. Mr. Holwell then returned to his 

 companions, and found them surrounded by a strong guard, 

 who led them into a voranda, or arched gallery, ronstructed 

 to shelter the soldiers from the sun and rain, but which 

 excluded the chambers behind it from light and air. Some 

 quarters of the. fort being on lire, they were imolved in so 

 thick a smoke as inspired them with the apprehension that 

 a design was formed to suifocate them ; but the guard 

 were merely looking out for a proper place of confinement. 

 They pitched upon a chamber employed as the common 

 dungeon of the garrison, called the black hole; it consisted 

 of a space eighteen feet square, with only two small w indows 

 barred with iron, opening into the close veranda, and 

 scarcely admitting a breath of air. Into this narrow recep- 

 tacle, the whole of the officers and troops, 14C in number, 

 were compelled to enter; and on their venturing to remon- 

 strate, the commander ordered every one who should 

 hesitate to be instantly cut down. Thus were they forcibly 

 thrust into this fearful dungeon, into which the whole 

 number could with difficulty be squeezed ; the door was 

 then fast barred from without. Their first impression, on 

 finding themselves thus immured, was the utter impossi- 

 bility of surviving one night, and the necessity of extricating 

 themselves at whatever cost. The jemauklars, or Indian 

 guards, were walking before the window, and Mr. Holwell, 

 seeing one who bore on his face a more than usual ex- 

 pression of humanity, adjured him to procure for them 

 room in which they could breathe, assuring him of a 

 reward next morning of 1000 rupees. The man went 

 away — but returned, saying it was impossible. The 

 prisoners, thinking the offer had been too low, tendered 

 2000 rupees. The man again went, — and returned, saying 

 that the nabob was asleep, and no one durst awake him. 



