of difficulties
with the French, were strengthening the fortifications of Fort William.
On June 4th he seized the English factory at Kasimbazar, and on the 15th
attacked Calcutta. The women and children in the fort were removed on
board ship on the 18th, and on the same day the Governor, Mr. Drake, and
the military commandant, Captain Minchin, deserted their posts, and to
their lasting disgrace betook themselves to the ships. Mr. Holwell, a
member of the council, assumed command in the fort, but on the 25th the
place was taken.

All the Englishmen in the fort, one hundred forty-six persons, were
thrust at the point of a sword into a small room, the prison of the
garrison, commonly known as the Black Hole, only twenty feet square. The
Nawab had promised to spare their lives, but had gone to sleep after a
debauch. No expostulations on the part of the prisoners, not even
bribes, would induce the guards to awake the Nawab and obtain his leave
to liberate the prisoners, until the morning, when, having slept off his
debauch, he allowed the door to be opened. By that time, out of one
hundred forty-six prisoners, one hundred twenty-three had miserably
perished. The survivors, among whom was the acting Governor, Holwell,
were brought before the tyrant, insulted and reproached by him, and
detained in custody in wretched sheds and fed upon grain and water. An
Englishwoman who was one of the survivors, was placed in the Nawab's
harem. The details of this terrible tragedy and of the sufferings which
the survivors subsequently underwent, are given in a letter from Mr.
Holwell, from which it appears that his eventual release was brought
about by the intercession of Aliverdi Khan's widow, who had in vain
endeavored to dissuade the Nawab from attacking Calcutta, and had
predicted that his doing so would be his ruin.

Intelligence of the outrage did not reach Madras until August 16th, when
it was at once decided to send a force under Clive to Calcutta to avenge
it. Clive was appointed commander-in-chief, with full military and
political control. He took with him 900 English soldiers and 1200 Sepoys
and some artillery. Owing, however, to the obstinacy of Admiral Watson,
and to jealousy of Clive on the part of Colonel Aldercron, who had
recently arrived at Madras in command of the Thirty-ninth foot, a delay
of two months took place before the expedition sailed. Watson declined
to undertake it at all unless the government of the Bengal set