BOMBAY 
175 
a few hours, and even the magazines themselves would probably 
share the same fate. 
If Bombay, and the valuable arsenals and naval stores which it 
contains, are to be rendered secure against an enemy, a large pro- 
portion of the town ought to be destroyed, and the fortifications 
ought to be brought nearer to the dock-yard, and within a much 
narrower compass. Accident has rendered this a much easier and 
cheaper work than it formerly would have been; for a most dread- 
ful fire has reduced one third of the town to ashes, in the very di- 
vision which would, were the above plan adopted, be thrown with- 
out the walls. It was with the utmost difficulty that the rest of the 
town was saved from destruction by the exertions of the Governor 
and the military. The old Government-house, which is within the 
old fort, was frequently on fire by the flakes that were carried 
towards it : had they been unable to extinguish it, the magazine 
must have shared the same fate, from its being close to it, and the 
unfortunate town would have been carried to all the points of 
the compass by the explosion of several thousand barrels of gun- 
powder. 
To complete the plan of reducing the size of the fort, many 
houses must still be purchased, and pulled down ; and the destroy- 
ing of the old fortifications, and the erection of new, would carry 
the expense to a great height. It is hardly reasonable to expect, 
that this should be defrayed by the East India Company, who can 
only be considered as tenants under a short lease ; but that it should 
be done by some arrangement with the Supreme Government at 
home, cannot for a moment be doubted, when it is considered, 
that our most implacable enemy has all his attention turned towards 
