Louisville messenger., 1842-10-22

cessafy lUbosioge the fort call'd Bulge
bulge, some few miles from Calcutta
down the river, which tho natives
held IN spite of our rcmonsirances--
probably supported in their hostile
obstinacy by the Dutch and French
Goverlments-who, as all tho world
knows, have several settlements IN
the East Indies. These settlements
we could wrest from them in an in-
slant, but, for some unaccountable
reason or other, we allowed them to
remain in their hands, to the no small
hinderance of justice and equity, Slice
it frequently happens that characters
deserving punishment for their OIL
fences have merely to cross the river,
and, in ten minutes, are beyond the
pale of British law, having found re-
tuge in ChinSurah, or some other for
eign town. The existence of these
little colinies have a still worse effect
in case of disatection among the In
dians, inasmuch as they are ever rea-
dy to pour forth forein emiSsarieS,
who urgently foment the feud, and
mlslead the poor natives, by holding
out hopes of assistance from their re-
spective countries.
Such had been the case with Bulge
Bulge, the aforesaid fort, before which
a couple of frigates and some armed
boats, were lying at the time of my
sketch. The native garrison, which
amounted to about six hundred men,
had vainly been summoned to surren-
der. They vowed they would rather
die than do so. For three days long
shots had been fired at them: but, as
the fortress was built of mud, no SOON
er was the smallest breach made, than
it was instantly closed up, and rebuilt
stronger than ever. One of the COM
manders advised the adoption of a
storming party. His brother officer,
however, differed with him, urging
that the place was too we'll garriSoned
to be easily carried by assault. The
opinions of the two leaders were for
warded to Calcutta, and the reply
was expected to be returned on the
E#...E
James Bunting $50 we will call the
old tar) heard all these palavers, as
he styled them, and looked very know
ing. He understood there was a
chance of fighting, so felt perfectly de-
lighted. To his berth he descended,
and, as usual, when he was particu-
larly happy, managed to get particu-
larly drunk, and turned in evidently
The worse for liquor. Now, it so hap
pened that in about an hour after he
had thus settled himself in his ham,
mock, he suddenly awoke. A burn
ing fever, an agonizing thirst parched
MS mouth; so he arose and went to
MS locker; but, alas! he had drunk
every drop of the liquid he possessed;
and where to find more he knew not.
On board the vessel he had no hopes
shore was his only chance so, unseen
by any one, he made his way into the
water, by lowering himself from the
chains or from a port-hole, or some
such place, and struck out for the
beach, where he landed safely, in
spite Of alligators, sentinels, and all
other similar oppositions.
When he had shaken the water
from his hair, and hitched up his trow-
sers, he began to look around for a
shop, where he could purchase some
of that liquor, or some arrack, to take
the chill off the water he had swal-
lowed; but, alas! no building of the
kind met his view-not single hab-
itation could he see. The fort frown-
ed gloomily over him in Sullen gran
denr; no other place where spirits
were likely to be found could he dis
cover, thoagh he peered anxiously
round on every side. To lose time
to be laughed at by his comrades on
his return, from the wild goose
chase he had undertaken-waS by no
means palatable to Bunting. To be
banked is a maxim unknown to sal
lor so, rather than lose his grog, he
determined to lose his life, or, at all
events, to risk it. Without further
ado, he began scaling the walls of the
fort. This he easily managed, and in
a few mome,tS found himself at the
top ofthe glacis. Elated at his sue
cess, he began shouting as loud as he
could bawl, to the horror of the garri-
4 r H..