THE BLACK HOLE OF CALCUTTA. (Mr. Holwell's Account in a Letter to a Friend.) A. D. 1756. vancing to the parapet wall, with their muskets presented, ordered us to enter the room at the southernmost end of the barracks, commonly called the Black Hole while others from the court of guard pressed upon those next them with clubs and drawn scimitars in their hands. This stroke was so sudden, and the throng and pressure upon us next the door of this prison was so great, that, as one agitated wave impels another, we were obliged to give way and go into the room; the rest followed like a torrent, few of us, except the soldiers, having any idea of the dimensions of a place we had never seen; for if we had, we should rather have rushed on the guard, and chosen, as the lesser evil, to be cut to pieces. BEFORE I conduct you into the | the barracks, than the guard, adBlack Hole, I must acquaint you that the Suba, named Surajah | Dowla, Viceroy of Bengal, Bahar, and Orixa, and his troops, were possessed of the fort before six in the evening, with whom I had in all three interviews; the last in the durbar, or council, before seven, when he repeated his assurances to me, on the word of a soldier, that no harm should come to us; and, indeed, I believe he only ordered that we should, for that night, be secured, and that what followed was the result of the revenge of the lower jemidars, or sergeants, to whose custody we were delivered, for the number of their order killed during the siege. However this be, as soon as it was dark, we were all, without distinction, directed by our guard to sit down quietly under the arched verandah or piazza, to the west of the Black Hole Prison, and just over against the windows of the governor's easterly apartments. * * * * We were no sooner all within Among the first that entered were myself, Messrs. Baillie, Jenks, Cook, T. Coles, Ensign Scott, Revely, Law, Buchanan, etc. I got possession of the window nearest the door, and Messrs, Coles and Scott into the window with me, i to our fate; earnestly beseeching they being both wounded. The them as much as possible to rerest of the above-mentioned gentlemen were close round about me. It was now about eight o'clock. It is impossible fully to describe the situation of a hundred and forty-six wretches, exhausted by continual fatigue and action, crammed together in a cube of eighteen feet, in a close sultry night, in Bengal, shut up to the eastward and southward-the only quarters from which 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 scarcely any, the least, circulation of fresh air. What must ensue appeared to me in lively and dreadful colours, the instant I cast my eyes around and saw the size and situation of the room. Many unsuccessful attempts were made to force the door; but having nothing but our hands to work with, and the door opening inward, all endeavours were vain and fruitless. I observed every one giving way to the violence of their passions; wherefore I entreated, in the most pathetic tones, that, as they had readily obeyed me in the day, they would now, for the sake of themselves and their friends, regard my advice. I assured them that the return of day would give us air and liberty, and that the only chance we had of surviving the night was a quiet resignation strain their passion, the giving loose to which would only hasten their destruction. This remonstrance produced a short interval of peace, which afforded me a few minutes for reflection; though it was not a little interrupted by the cries and groans of the many wounded, and especially of my two companions in the window. Among the guards posted at the windows, I observed an old jemidar He withdrew ; near me, who seemed to carry some compassion for us in his countenance. I called him to me, and pressed him to endeavour to get us separated, half in one place, and half in another, and that he should in the morning receive a thousand rupees for this act of tenderness. but in a few minutes returned, and told me it was impossible. I then thought I had been deficient in my offer, and promised him two thousand; he withdrew a second time, but returned soon, and-with, I believe, much real pity and concern-told me that it could not be done but by the Suba's order, and that no one dared awake him. We had been but a few minutes confined before every one fell into a perspiration so profuse, you can form no idea of it. This brought on a raging thirst, which increased in proportion as the body was drained of its moisture. Various expedients were thought of to give more room and air. To obtain the former it was moved to pu off their clothes; this was approv- | easy play, though my perspiration was excessive, and thirst commencing. ed as a happy notion, and, in a few minutes, I believe every man was stripped (myself, Mr. Court, and the two young gentlemen by me, excepted). For a little time they flattered themselves with having gained a mighty advantage; every hat was put in motion to produce a circulation of air, and Mr. Baillie proposed that every man should sit down on his hams. This expedient was several times put in practice, and at each time many of the poor creatures, whose natural strength was less than that of others, or who had been more exhausted and could not immediately recover their legs, as others did when the word was given to rise, fell to rise no more; for they were instantly trod to death or suffocated. When the whole body sat down, they were so closely wedged together that they were obliged to use many efforts before they could put themselves in motion to get up again. Every one, excepting those situated in and near the windows, began to grow outrageous, and many delirious; " Water! water!" became the general cry. And the old jemidar before mentioned, taking pity on us, ordered the people to bring some skins of water. This was what I dreaded. I foresaw it would prove the ruin of the small chance left us, and essayed many times to speak to him privately to forbid its being brought; but the clamour was so loud it became impossible. The water appeared. Words cannot paint to you the universal agitation and raving the sight of it threw us into. I flattered myself that some, by preserving an equal temper of mind, might outlive the night; but now the reflection which gave me the greatest pain was, that I saw no possibility of one escaping to tell the dismal tale. Until the water came, I had myself not suffered much from thirst, which instantly grew excessive. We had no means of conveying it into prison, but by hats forced through the bars; and thus myself and Messrs. Coles and Before nine o'clock every man's thirst grew intolerable, and respiration difficult. Efforts were made again to force the door, but in vain. Many insults were used to the guards to provoke them to fire | in upon us-which, I afterwards learned, were carried much higher, when I was no longer sensible of | Scott―nothwithstanding the pains what was transacted. For my own they suffered from their wounds part, I hitherto felt little pain or supplied them as fast as posuneasiness, but what resulted from my anxiety for the sufferings of those within. By keeping my face between two of the bars, I obtained air enough to give my lungs sible. But those who have experienced intense thirst, or are acquainted with the cause and nature of this appetite, will be sufficiently sensible it could re ceive no more than a momentary | were almost broken by the alleviation; the cause subsisted. Though we brought full hats within the bars, there ensued such violent struggles and frequent contests to get at it, that before it reached the lips of any one, there would be scarcely a small tea-cupfull left in them. These supplies, like sprinkling water on fire, only seemed to feed and raise the flame. It is out of my power to convey to you an idea of what I felt when I heard the cries and ravings of those in the remoter parts of the prison, who could not entertain a probable hope of obtaining a drop, yet could not divest themselves of expectation, however unavailing; and calling on me by the tender considerations of friendship and affection, and who knew they were really dear to me! Think, if possible, what my heart must have suffered at seeing and hearing their distress, without having in my power to relieve them; for the confusion now became general and horrid. Several quitted the other window- the only chance they had for life-to force their way to the water, and the throng and the press upon the window was beyond bearing; many forcing their passage from the farther part of the room, pressed down those in their way who had less strength, and trampled them to death. From about nine to near eleven I sustained this cruel sense and painful situation, still supplying them with water, though my legs weight against them. By this time I myself was nearly pressed to death, and my two companions, with Mr. William Parker-who had forced himself into the window-were really so. For a long time they preserved a respect and regard to me, more than indeed I could well expect, our circumstances considered; but now all distinction was lost. My friend Baillie, Messrs. Jenks, Revely, Law, Buchanan, Simpson, and several others, for whom I had a real esteem and affection, had for some time been dead at my feet; and were now trampled upon by every corporal or common soldier, who, by the help of more robust constitutions, had forced their way to the window, and held fast by the bars over me, till at last I became so pressed and wedged up, that I was deprived of all motion. Determined now to give everything up, I called to them, and begged, as the last instance of their regard, they would remove the pressure upon me, and permit me to retire out of the window, to die in quiet. They gave way; and with much difficulty I forced a passage into the centre of the prison, where the throng was less by the many dead-then, I believe, amounting to one-third— and the numbers who flocked to the windows; for by this time they had water also at the other window. In the Black Hole there is a platform corresponding with that in the barrack. This platform was raised three or four feet from | I knew fresh air alone would and the floor, open underneath; it could give me. I instantly deterextended the whole length of the mined to push for the window east side of the prison, and was opposite me; and, by an effort of above six feet wide. I repaired double the strength I had ever beto the farther end of it, and seat- fore possessed, gained the third ed myself between Mr. Dumbleton rank at it, with one hand seized a and Captain Stevenson, the former bar, and by that means gained the just then expiring. I was still second, though, I think, there were happy in a calmness of mind; at least six or seven ranks between death I expected as unavoidable, me and the window. and only lamented its slow approach, though the moment I quitted the window my breathing grew short and painful. Here my poor friend, Mr. Edward Eyre, came staggering over the dead to me, and, with his usual coolness and good nature, asked me how I did; but fell and expired before I had time to make him a reply. I laid myself down on some of the dead behind me, on the platform; and, recommending myself to heaven, had the comfort of thinking my sufferings could have no long duration. My thirst grew now insupportable, and the difficulty of breathing much increased; and I had not remained in this situation, I believe, ten minutes, when I was seized with a pain in my breast, and palpitation of heart, both to the most exquisite degree. These roused and obliged me to get up again; but still the pain, palpitation, thirst, and difficulty of breathing, increased. I regained my senses notwithstanding, and had the grief to see death not so near me as I hoped; but could no longer bear the pains I suffered without attempting a relief, which In a few moments the pain, palpitation, and difficulty of breathing ceased; but my thirst continued intolerable. I called aloud for "Water, for God's sake!" I had been concluded dead; but as soon as they found me amongst them, they still had the respect and tenderness for me to cry out, "Give him water, give him water!" nor would one of them at the window attempt to touch it till I had drunk. But from the water I had no relief; my thirst was rather increased by it; so I determined to drink no more, but patiently wait the event, and kept my mouth moist from time to time by sucking the perspiration out of my shirt sleeves, and catching the drops as they fell, like heavy rain, from my head and face; you can hardly imagine how unhappy I was if any of them escaped my mouth. I came into the prison without coat or waistcoat-the season was too hot to bear the former, and the latter tempted the avarice of one of the guards, who robbed me of it when we were under the verandah. Whilst I was at this second window, I was observed by one of |