116 
E. Roskell Bayne —Notes on the remains of 
[No. 2, 
wooden platform for the soldiers to sleep on, and are open to the west by 
arches and a small parapet-wall, corresponding to the arches of the 
verandah without. In we went most readily, and were pleasing ourselves 
with the prospect of passing a comfortable night on the platform, little 
dreaming of the infernal apartments in reserve for us. For we were no 
sooner all within the barracks, than the guard advanced to the inner arches 
and parapet-wall; and, with their muskets presented, ordered us to go 
into the room at the furthermost end of the barracks, commonly called 
the Black Hole prison ; whilst others from the court of guard, with clubs 
and drawn scimitars, pressed upon those of us next to them. 
“ Figure to yourself, my friend, if possible, the situation of a hundred 
and forty-six wretches, exhausted by continual fatigue and action, thus 
crammed together in a cube of about eighteen feet, in a close sultry night, 
in Bengal, shut up to the eastward and southward (the only quarters from 
whence air could reach us) by dead walls, and by a wall and door to the 
north, open only to the westward by two windows, strongly barred with 
iron, from which we could receive scarce any the least circulation of fresh 
air.” 
I do not think there is any room to doubt now the exact locality of 
the Black Hole. 
In the plan attached I think it is on the spot marked N (on Plate X) 
and if my scaling from Orme’s Map is correct, and if his 210 yards given as 
the length of the east face is correct, the foundations of the building still 
remain, and their exact locality could with very little trouble or expense be 
found,because, as I have stated, these verandah walls go down very deep, deeper 
than the Custom House shed walls, and would consequently be, as I found 
those to the north, undisturbed. The salient and the faces of this bastion 
there is no doubt have been destroyed by the Post Office buildings, but 
the inner corner of the older square bastion appears to me to have fallen 
beyond the Post Office building, if, as I have said, Orme’s figures are 
correct; and as I have shown they are exact on the north face. 
I would now draw attention to the south-west corner. It will be seen 
that a considerable portion of this lies beyond the old Military Accounts 
Office. If the building is condemned as one to come down, I do hope 
attention will be called to obtaining a faithful record of all to be found 
here, and I am persuaded that all the bastion foundations will be found 
below those of the house as intact as I found those of the north-east 
bastion. 
An expenditure of 150 Rupees judiciously applied would enable us to 
determine a good deal more of the fort walls without disturbing any build¬ 
ing or breaking up any floors. 
To return again to the levels of the old fort, I would draw attention 
