20 



CONQUEST OF BENGAL. 



him a seat and a draught of water, but showed no other 

 mark of sympathy. He immediately commenced a strict 

 interrogatory about the supposed treasure, discrediting ex- 

 tremely the assertion of its non-existence. Being able, 

 however, to learn nothing on this subject, he sent Mr. 

 Holwell, with three other gentlemen, prisoners to Muxa- 

 davad. In this voyage they suffered severely, their bodies 

 being covered with boils, that had broken out in conse- 

 quence of their confinement ; to which, however, these 

 eruptions were supposed to afford relief. The other sur- 

 vivors were liberated ; while the dead bodies were, without 

 any ceremony, thrown into a ditch. 



Mr. Holwell seems to be of opinion that the nabob had 

 no actual intention of causing the dreadful catastrophe, 

 but that some inferior officers had seized this opportunity 

 of gratifying their revenge. The utter insensibility dis- 

 played by him, however, seems to fix thoroughly upon that 

 prince the guilt of this frightful transaction! We cannot 

 concur with Mr. Mill in throwing the blame upon the Eng- 

 lish themselves for using this apartment as a prison. The 

 room, eighteen feet square, was not absolutely small, 

 affording ample space for two or three, the greatest number 

 probably whom they were accustomed to confine in it. 

 The circumstance which rendered it fatal was simply the 

 enormous number thrust into an apartment wholly unfit to 

 contain them. 



All was lost in Bengal before the presidency at Madras 

 were apprized that any thing was in danger. The fatal 

 tidings arrived af an unseasonable moment,°when the most 

 brilliant prospects had just opened in the Deccan. Salabat 

 Jung, after showing long the most extreme impatience 

 under the thraldom in which he was held by the French, 

 resolved at length upon an effort to extricate himself! 

 Bussy was ordered to depart ; and the subahdaT, to secure 

 his person against the resentment of the French, as well 

 as the other evils from which their presence had protected 

 him, requested from the English a subsidiary force, by 

 sending which they would have supplanted their rivals as 

 the arbiters of Southern India. The opportunity was 

 templing ; but the crisis in Bengal was so urgent as made 

 it indispensable to forego the advantage, though by their 

 refusal they should compel the subahdar to" solicit the 



