6 io C A L C U T T A. 
the bladder, and upon it a done of a confiderable fize was 
formed in lefs than a year. This (done had fo much the 
appearance'of chalk, that the doClor was induced to try 
whether it could be converted into quick-lime. H s ex¬ 
periment fucceeded, both w ith that and fume other cal¬ 
culi ; from which he conjeftures, that hard waters which 
contain calcareous earth may contribute towards the for¬ 
mation of thefe calculi. 
CALCUT'TA, a city of- Hindoofian, and capital of 
Bengal, lituated on the wett fide of the Hoogly, which is 
a branch of the Ganges, and navigable for the Englifh 
Eafl-India fhips. In the beginning of the eighteenth cen¬ 
tury, it was only a village, but ftnee that, has been con- 
fiantly increafing, and is now fuppofed to contain 500,000 
inhabitants. The houfes belonging to the Englilh, are in 
general handfome, and well built of brick ; but thofe be¬ 
longing to the natives are generally of one (lory only, and 
built of earth and thatched, or of brick with flat roofs. 
The citadel is named Fort William, and is fuperior as a 
fortrefs to any in India; but is built on too extenfive a 
Icale to aiifvver the purpofe for which it was intended, viz. 
tiie holding a pod in cafe of extremity. To garrifon it is 
required an army fufficient to take the field, and face an 
enemy without the protection of fortifications. It w as be¬ 
gun on this extended plan by lord Clive, immediately af¬ 
ter the battle of Plalfey. The expence attending it was 
ftippofed to amount to two millions Iterling. 
Calcutta is the emporium of Bengal, and its flourifiling 
fiate may in a great meafure be owing to the unlimited 
toleration of all religions ; the pagans are fu fibred to carry 
their idols in procefiion ; the Mahometans are not difeoun- 
tenanced ; and the Roman catholics are allowed a church. 
Before the war of 1755, Calcutta was commonly garrifon- 
ed by 300 Europeans, who were frequently employed in 
conveying the company’s velfels from Patna, loaded with 
faltpetre, piece-goods, opium, and raw filk. The trade 
of Bengal alone lupplied rich cargoes for fifty or fixty 
ihips annually, befides what was carried on in fmall vef- 
fels to the adjacent countries. It was this flourilhing 
fiate of Calcutta that probably was one motive for the na¬ 
bob Surajah Dowlah to attack it in 1756. Having had 
the fort of Collimbuzar delivered up to him, he marched 
againft Calcutta with all his forces, amounting to 70,000 
horfe and foot, with 400 elephants, and inverted the place 
on the 15th of June. Previous to any hoftilities, however, 
he wrote to Mr. Drake, the governor, offering to with¬ 
draw his troops, on condition that he would pay him his 
duty on the trade for fifteen years part, defray the expence 
of his army, and deliver up the black merchants who were 
in the fort. This being refilled, he attacked one of the 
redoubts at the entrance of the towm, but was repul fed 
with great daughter. On the 16th he attacked another 
advanced port, but was likewife reptilfed with great lofs. 
Notvvithftanding this, the attempt was renewed on the 
18th, when the troops abandoned their polls, and retreat¬ 
ed into the fort; on which the nabob entered the town, 
and plundered it for twenty-four hours. An order was 
now given for attacking the fort; for which purpofe a 
fmall breaft-work was thrown up, and two twelve-pound¬ 
ers mounted upon it; but without firing oftener than turn 
or three times an hour. The governor then called a coun¬ 
cil of war, when the captain of the train informed them, 
that there was not ammunition in the fort to ferve three 
days; in confequence of which the principal ladies were 
f-nt on-board the (hips lying before tiie town. They were 
followed by the governor, who declared himfelf a quaker, 
and left the place to be defended by Mr. Holwell, the (e- 
condin command. Befides the governor, four of tiie coun¬ 
cil, eight gentlemen in the company’s fervice, four offi¬ 
cers, and one hundred foldiers, with fifty-two free mer¬ 
chants, captains of fhips, fiiamefully deferted the garri¬ 
fon, and followed the governor on-board the (hips. The 
whole number left in the fort were about 350 effective 
men, with Mr. IIolwcll, four-captains, five lieutenants, 
fix enfigns, and five ferjeants; fourteen lea-captains, and 
3 
twenty-nine gentlemen of the factory. Mr. Holwell, hav¬ 
ing held a council of war, divided, three cherts of treafure 
among the difeontented foldiers ; making them large pro- 
mifes alfo, if they behaved with courage and fidelity ; af¬ 
ter which he boldly flood on the defence of the place, 
notwithftanding the immenfe force which oppoi'ed him. 
1 he attack was very vigorous; the enemy, having got pof- 
fefiion of the houfes, galled the Englifh from thence, and 
drove them irom the bullions; but they themfelves were 
feveral times diflodged by the fire from the fort, which 
killed upwards of 12,000 men, with the lofs of only five 
Englifh foldiers the firft day. The attack was continued 
till the afternoon of the 20th ; when many of the garrifon 
being killed and wounded, and their ammunition exhauft- 
ed, a flag of truce was hung out. Mr. Holwell intended 
to have availed himfelf of this opportunity to make his 
efcape on-board the (hips, but they had fallen-feveral miles 
down the river, without leaving even a (ingle boat to fa¬ 
cilitate the efcape of thofe w ho remained. In the mean 
time the back gate was betrayed by the Dutch guard, and 
the enemy, entering the fort, killed all they firfi met, and 
took the refi prifoners. 
The fort was taken about fix in the evening; and, in 
an hour after, Mr. Holwell had three audiences of the 
nabob, the lafi being in the durbar or council. In all of 
thefe the governor had the mod pofitive alfurances that 
no harm" fhould happen to any of the prifoners. But, as 
foon as it was dark, the Englidi prifoners, to the number 
of 146, were directed by the jemmidaars who guarded 
them to collect themfelves into one body, and (it down 
quietly under the arched veranda, or piazza. Befides the 
guard over them, another was placed at the fouth end of 
this veranda, to prevent their efcape. About 500 gun¬ 
men, with lighted matches, were drawn up on the parade; 
and foon after the factory was in flames to the right and 
left of the prifoners, who had various conjectures on this 
appearance. The fire advanced with rapidity on both 
Tides ; and it was the prevailing opinion of the Englidi, 
that they were to be fuffocated between the two fires. On 
this they foon came to a refolution of rufiling on the 
guard, feizing their fcyniitars, and attacking the troops 
upon the parade, rather than be thus tamely roarted to 
death : but Mr. Holwell advanced, and found the Moors 
were only fearching for a place to confine them in. At 
that time Mr. Holwell might have made his efcape, by 
the aflrrtance of Mr. Leech, the company’s frnitli, who 
had efcaped when the Moors entered the fort, and return¬ 
ed jurt as it was dark, to tell Mr. Holwell he had provi¬ 
ded a boat, and would infure his efcape, if he would fol¬ 
low him through a pafiage few were acquainted with, and 
by which he then entered. This might eafily have been 
accompli died, as the guard took little notice of it ; but 
Mr. Holwell told Mr. Leech, he was refolved to fliare 
the fate of the gentlemen and the garrifon ; to which Mr. 
Leech gallantly replied, that “ then he was refolved to 
(hare Mr. Holwell’s fate, and would not leave him.” 
The guard on the parade now advanced, and ordered 
them ail to rife and go into the barracks. Then, with 
their mufkets prefented, they ordered them to go into the 
black-hole prifon ; while others, with clubs and feymi- 
tars, prefied upon them fo ftrongly, that there was no re¬ 
filling it ; but, like one agitated wave impelling another, 
they were obliged to give way and enter, the reft follow¬ 
ing like a torrent. Few among them, the foldiers except¬ 
ed, had the lead idea of the dimer,(ions or nature of a 
place they had never feen ; for, if they had, they would at 
all events have ruffled upon the guard, and been cut to 
pieces by their own choice as the lefs evil. It w'as about 
eight o’clock when thefe 146 unhappy perfons, exhaufied 
by continual action and fatigue, were thus crammed toge¬ 
ther into a dungeon about eighteen feet fquare, in a dole 
fu 1 try night in Bengal; fiiut up to the eaft and fouth, the 
only quarters from whence air could reach them, by dead 
walls, and by a wall and door to the north ; open only to 
the welt.by two windows, ftronglv barred with iron, from. 
which 
